Russell Wilson knew Seattle Seahawks wanted to start Matt Flynn in 2012
Looking back, it may have been one of the silliest ideas Seattle Seahawks players could have ever had.
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Or maybe not. At the time, perhaps it was one of the best ideas Seahawks players had ever had.
According to former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson, Seahawks players wanted to bench Russell Wilson after his Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in his first pro game in 2012.
The then-rookie quarterback, Wilson, had won the starting QB job over newly acquired Matt Flynn, who had played well the previous year as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup.
Wilson didn’t play terribly against the Cardinals, throwing for 153 yards with both a touchdown and an interception, but he came up short trying to put together a game-winning drive for Seattle, who would lose the game 20-16 in the desert.
According to Robinson, that was when Seahawks players, after one game, felt that maybe the team needed a “veteran” leader rather than a rookie leading the team.
Little did those players know, Wilson was listening to what his team was saying about him.
"Per Robinson, Wilson heard teammates talking about the importance of entrusting the job to the veteran, Flynn, on the plane following the defeat."
"Robinson’s point was that Wilson heard it, and that he became even more determined to help the team win."
Wilson went on to lead the team to an 11-5 record and an NFC Wild Card playoff win before the team fell to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional playoff game.
The following year, of course, the former 3rd round NFL draft pick, led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title.
Flynn, meanwhile, remained Wilson’s backup in 2012 before playing for three different teams the next season. He is now right back to where he started — as Rodgers’ backup in Green Bay.
Wilson has two Pro Bowls under his belt and last year became just the second player in NFL history with more than 50 TD passes and 1,000 rushing yards in a two-year span. Randall Cunningham was the first, completing the feat in 1989-90.
Wilson also has the most regular season wins by an NFL quarterback in his first two NFL seasons.
Long story short, the Seahawks made the right selection with Wilson. And maybe it’s a good thing Wilson heard his teammates talking about him.
That motivation drove Wilson to a high-caliber status — and helped inspire him to become the proven leader of the best team in football.