The divorce between Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and his now-former franchise quarterback Russell Wilson will lead to a lot of juicy details about the fallout behind the scenes in the coming days and weeks. While the tension between Carroll’s desire for a conservative ball-control offense and Wilson’s go-deep instincts was there all along, there had to be key moments that led to this.
Some of the most interesting comments so far have come from former Seattle tight end Greg Olsen, who spent the 2020 NFL season with the Seahawks before retiring. Olsen is now a superb TV analyst for Fox Sports with an ability to explain the game in a relatable way that is only outmatched by CBS’s Tony Romo.
Anyway, Olsen recently clarified some critical remarks he made about the Seahawks offense during his time there.
This quote is misleading
I talked about how talented the roster was on offense. We had a premier LT, 2 WR, RB, and of course QB. At times we ran the offense like we had none of those pieces. That was my point and even if you don’t like it, it’s the truth.
Not hating. https://t.co/QwpqBiNVMQ
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) March 10, 2022
While we don’t love the details, we understand Carroll deciding to trade Wilson when he did. It’s also tough to blame Wilson for wanting out and getting to work with an offensive-minded head coach for a change.
The offensive coordinator for the Sehawks that year was Brian Schottenheimer, who’s since been replaced by Shane Waldron. Schottenheimer (and Wilson) had issues adjusting to more two-safety looks in the second half of the season, which played a role in the team’s implosion down the stretch.
However, Carroll’s steadfast, stubborn refusal to embrace an aggressive, pass-first kind of offense was a problem throughout Wilson’s tenure with the team and the biggest reason why they have not won another Super Bowl.
Wilson may only have a few good years of football left in him. However, if Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett gets the right receivers around him and builds Wilson a half-decent offensive line he may finally get a few of those MVP votes he wants so badly.
