Key member of Seahawks' Super Bowl team defends Russell Wilson
Not everyone in Seattle hated the former star quarterback Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson was a lot of things to the Seattle Seahawks, but more than anything, at least according to recent reports, he was toxic.
The Super Bowl champion quarterback attempted to get head coach Pete Carroll fired, according to a story reported in The Athletic. And in that report, Wilson also allegedly alienated teammates in pursuit of his own agenda and more power within the organization. But everyone who played for the Seahawks doesn't agree that the blame heaped on Wilson is fair.
A retired defensive end and member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning 2013 squad, team, Cliff Avril, shared a locker room with Wilson in Seattle from 2013-17. And after news broke regarding Wilson, the former Seahawk took to Twitter to defend his old quarterback.
“I usually stay out (of) the way and stay in my own lane, but it’s tough watching people go in on someone every year, and he never defends himself, so things keep stacking up,” Avril tweeted. “It’s unreal! Personally, as a teammate and a man have never had any issues with how he’s moved. Always been a stand-up guy towards my family and I! Sometimes people just don’t like things they don’t understand. Something’s ain’t meant to be understood.”
Wilson, who disappointed in his first season away from Carroll, has been in the public eye for years. Seeing his reaction to the media storm that attempted to hold Wilson accountable for his behavior has only validated much of the reporting surrounding who Wilson was as a leader during his time in Seattle.
And as the dust continues to settle on the season that has followed since Wilson's trade request sent and subsequent trade sent shockwaves through the NFL, it continues to look like Seattle came out on the better end of the deal.
Last season with the Broncos, Wilson played one of his worst seasons of football yet. He finished with a QBR of 36.7. He often held on to the football too long. And he alienated teammates amidst a year where the Broncos' offense couldn't produce points or yards.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, under Carroll, Geno Smith enjoyed a career year, making the Seahawks looks like the smarter of the two organization for giving up their former franchise quarterback.
Either way, not everyone in Seattle hated Wilson during his tenure as the face of the franchise.
Feature image via Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
