The Seattle Seahawks officially completed a trade of quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Wednesday afternoon.
When the Seahawks announced the trade, they had a clear spin that the quarterback initiated the split. Owner Jody Allen, general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll all said in statements that Wilson wanted a change.
Seattle released those statements on Twitter while Wilson was speaking at his introductory press conference in Denver. Wilson was then asked why he initiated the trade and the quarterback rebuffed the Seahawks’ spin.
“Yeah, I didn’t initiate it,” Wilson said with a smile. “It was definitely mutual. Along the way, there’s definitely been a lot of conversations and it hasn’t been I initiated anything. But it is what it is.
“I’m just happy to be here, that’s all I know. Obviously, I’m happy about the 10 years I’ve had, but I think we’ll have to read about it later. We’ll have some fun, maybe in my book one day. We’ll have some stories.”
Adding more fuel to the rift, the Seahawks’ PR team called Wilson “one of” the best quarterbacks in franchise history in a farewell tweet. There should be no question — especially in Seattle — that Wilson was the best quarterback in the team’s history.
Regardless of who initiated it, it seems clear that both parties were ready for a split. Broncos fans can only hope Wilson’s time in Denver ends on a better note down the road.
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