Russell Wilson denies report he called for Pete Carroll’s job in Seattle, lawyer says ‘entirely fabricated’

Russell Wilson’s time in Seattle came to an abrupt halt in March 2022 after 10 seasons with the Seahawks, two trips to the Super Bowl and one championship. 

But one month before his trade to Denver, Wilson asked the ownership in Seattle to fire head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, according to a report by The Athletic. 

Wilson reportedly wanted Seattle to pursue Sean Payton, who had recently stepped down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. 

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A lawyer for Wilson sent a letter to The Athletic, calling the claim that Wilson asked for Carroll and Schneider to be fired “entirely fabricated.” The Seahawks declined comment. 

On Friday, Wilson posted to Twitter, denying the report and saying that Carroll was a “father figure.”

“I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well,” Wilson wrote. “I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win. 

“l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.”

In an interesting twist, Payton and Wilson are now paired together after a disastrous first season in Denver for Wilson. 

Wilson had arguably the worst year of his career in 2022, completing just 60.5% of his passes while throwing just 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. 

The Broncos went 5-12 and fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games. 

Hackett’s firing led to the hiring of Payton, who left FOX after just one year as an analyst, signing a five-year deal in Denver. 

In Seattle, Carroll and the Seahawks made the playoffs with Geno Smith under center, going 9-8 in the regular season before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round of the postseason.