Russell Wilson making it difficult for Seahawks fans to cheer him

Russell Wilson doesn’t owe Seahawks fans anything. But hopefully, Wilson understands that 12s don’t owe him anything in return.

There is a difference between now-former Seahawks Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. Both players will likely end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. Wagner almost certainly will. Wilson might still need a great season or two. But the real difference for 12s is that Russell Wilson wanted out of Seattle and Bobby Wagner didn’t.

We 12s always had the feeling that Russell Wilson came across as a bit fake, right? He was too calculated in how he said things. He was trying to build a persona to sell to the general public. And a driving force of that was making money.

There isn’t truly anything wrong with that from an athlete’s point of view. They play a sport in which they are really skilled in hopes of earning generational wealth. Athletes get paid to play a sport and society allows an elite athlete to be highly paid as we pay for jerseys and ticket prices and sports app subscriptions and so on.

How should Seahawks fans react to Russell Wilson in Week 1?

Is that the morally right way of doing things? Maybe or maybe not. But that’s what happens.

But many an athlete shouldn’t also pretend they are above all the pretense that they are only playing the game – monetarily and literally – to help their teammates and for the greater good. Former Seahawk great Michael Bennett was a great player and a decent teammate but also admittedly wanted to get paid. That’s called honesty.

But Russell Wilson seems a little less honest nowadays. He still talks the talk about helping his team win and yada yada yada. But he is very self-serving and we shouldn’t overlook that even when he won’t be self-aware enough to claim that.

Did he visit the Seattle Children’s Hospital every Tuesday to help children who were suffering? Yes. Did he do this partly to make himself look better? Likely, very much yes.

Wilson wanted to look like the clean-cut player who put religion and team above himself. In reality, based on many recent reports and the words of Russell Wilson himself, he didn’t truly do that when it came to the team. He didn’t want to have to “carry the team,” I guess. But neither does Aaron Rodgers with the Packers probably but he does it and then re-signs with the team.

Wilson reportedly said he was “livid” that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll held him back from holding him back in the 2019 MVP race. Who cares? Well, Wilson did, obviously. He cared more about MVP votes and image than what was best for the team.

Wilson was always, except for the 2015 season, a first-half quarterback. He was great early and then when teams adjusted and started playing two-high safeties, Wilson couldn’t adjust. Watch. The same thing will happen with the Broncos this year. Denver will get off to a great start and then Wilson won’t be as good and Denver will be an early out in the playoffs.

The fact of the matter is. Wilson was never as good as he thinks he was or how he wanted his image to appear he was. He wants to be pass-heavy and he isn’t Aaron Rodgers. He wants to win an MVP but there are five quarterbacks at least (Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and maybe more) better than he is. He won’t own up to that but it’s the truth.

The reason Russell Wilson was held back in Seattle was because of his own flaws: He couldn’t see over the middle to pick up easy first downs; he held on to the ball too long and took bad sacks; he forced passes into coverage in big games.

But the question is how should Seahawks fans react to him running onto the field in a Broncos uniform knowing Russell Wilson wanted out of Seattle for his own self-serving reasons? It’s an easy answer. He should be booed. Just like every other player in an opposing uniform is greeted.