SEATTLE — I've heard of people having skeletons in their closet, but Russell Wilson seems to have an entire Seahawks cemetery in there and old bones are being unearthed on a regular basis.
The latest exhumation comes from The Athletic. According to the publication, Wilson wanted Pete Carroll and John Schneider fired because they were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls.
Wilson placed his request in February last year.
Less than a month later he was traded to Denver.
That shows you the kind of support Carroll and Schneider had and still have from ownership, in particular Jody Allen.
Wilson of course has since denied he wanted Carroll fired, saying Pete was like a father to him.
The thing that bothers me about Wilson is his lack of accountability. It's not just his problem, it's a societal problem. Take ownership of your mistakes, learn from them and move on. Too many people are quick to point the finger.
Jocko Willink is a former Navy Seal and an all-everything man who wrote a book titled, "Extreme Ownership." It's all about owning up to things in life. The basic message I got from the book is this: For just about everything that goes sideways in your life, even on a daily basis, you played some part in it. You bear some of the fault. You could have done something to change the outcome.
Someone needs to leave that book on Russell Wilson's porch.
It took Wilson a few years to alienate his Seahawks teammates, and seemingly just a few days to do the same with his Broncos mates. That's part of the reason they finished last in their division with a record of 5-12.
Seahawks great Richard Sherman made it abundantly clear during his final days in Seattle, he was not happy with the preferential treatment Wilson got from the Seahawks coaching staff, especially Pete Carroll. He knew then what a lot of fans know now - the 2013 Super Bowl Championship season had more to do with the Hawks' top ranked defense and the Legion Of Boom than the play of Wilson.
To Pete's credit, he kept it together and never aired any dirty laundry at the podium. He kept it in the locker room where it should be.
I spent all season sitting down with Pete once a week for a one-on-one interview. Through the ups and downs, the lows and the highs, he never tipped his hand to let us know what he was really thinking. Sure, there were times off camera where we would get a hint of what was really on his mind, but that's part of what he does so well. He controls information. When Wilson ran his mouth on a national radio show about his subpar offensive line, his lack of protection and the team's need to upgrade, Pete simply told us in the media he conveyed a message to Wilson of keeping those complaints in house. He could have criticized his quarterback in public, but he didn't.
Ultimately, Wilson wanted to replace Carroll with Sean Payton. Well, now Payton is his new head coach in Denver. He's already laid down the law, too. Gone from Broncos headquarters are Wilson's personal coaches, his private office and his personal parking space.
The message is clear: Football is the ultimate team sport and no player will get preferential treatment.
Considering Wilson performed at an all-time low last season, will Payton be able to resurrect Wilson's game from the dead?
I'm not sure.
But don't be surprised if the new coach finds a few more bones.