Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett looking forward to Russell Wilson matchup: ‘Russ has done so much for this community’

Veteran NFL wide receiver Tyler Lockett is looking forward to his matchup with quarterback Russell Wilson when the Seattle Seahawks open their season against the Denver Broncos on Monday night, and as far as he’s concerned, he’s rooting for Wilson’s success.

Wilson will return to Lumen Field for the first time in 10 seasons wearing a different uniform after being traded to the Broncos back in March as a part of a blockbuster deal that saw the Seahawks acquire two first-round picks, two second-rounders, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris and quarterback Drew Lock.

Fans will no doubt have mixed feelings about his return, but Lockett is looking forward to the moment he gets to meet with the quarterback he played alongside with for the last seven seasons.

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“I have no idea because I can’t control what anybody else says or what anybody else does,” Lockett said Tuesday via ESPN of how the crowd will respond. “But I know that when I see him, I’ll go give him a hug, talk to him … wish him good luck not only in this game but for the rest of this season and for the rest of his career as we continue to talk outside of football and stuff like that. But Russ has done so much for this community.”

Earlier this month, Wilson, 33, signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension that will see the nine-time Pro Bowler earn $165 million in guarantees. The commitment followed his vow to Bronco fans to win “three to four more Super Bowls.”

Wilson led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014, culminating in one championship. But despite repeated playoff appearances, he was unable to earn more rings in Seattle.

“At the end of the day, I get it — it’s football, it’s competitive,” Lockett continued. “You never want to see people leave, but you’ve got to understand that everybody has to do what’s best for them, and that’s what you have to be able to understand about this life is you have to cheer people on.”

He continued: “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to separate the man from the player, and you’ve got to understand that everybody’s trying to do what’s best for them and all you can do is hope that they win and cheer for them to win. So, that’s really how I feel about it. I think that Seattle should cheer him on for everything that he’s done — help bring a Super Bowl to this community, all that different type of stuff. He’s an amazing guy.”

All eyes will be on the Seahawks and head coach Pete Carroll to see how Seattle will fare in their first season without Wilson after a decade together. Carroll told reporters this week that focus will be on the team and their performance — not the doubters.

“I’m in the business of helping these guys get ready to play with all of the work that we do and all of the mentality and the culture and the environment that we’re in,” Carroll explained. “We’ve been averaging 10 wins a year for the last 20-something years. You think I could think anything different than that? I don’t.”