Russell Wilson responds to reports he wanted Pete Carroll fired

Wilson was traded to Denver in March 2022, leaving the only NFL team he'd ever known as the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards (37,059), passing touchdowns (292), fourth-quarter comebacks (24), game-winning drives (32) and regular season wins (104) while leading Seattle to their only Super Bowl victory in February 2014 over the Broncos. 

2022 was a disaster for both the nine-time Pro Bowler and Denver as a whole, but it was a surprising success for Carroll, Schneider and the Seahawks.

Not only did the Broncos finish last in the AFC West at 5-12 and fire first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett before the season ended, but months after signing a five-year, $245 million contract extension, Wilson posted career lows in completion percentage (60.5%) and passing touchdowns (16), while throwing for 3,524 passing yards and 11 interceptions. 

Seattle, meanwhile, made the playoffs at 9-8 and Geno Smith had the best season of his career by leading the NFL with a 69.8% completion percentage and registering 4,282 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Smith made his first career Pro Bowl and was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

According to a report from The Athletic, Wilson asked Seahawks ownership in February 2022 to fire Carroll and Schneider with hopes that the team would hire Sean Payton to be the coach. Payton was hired as Denver's new head coach in late January.

Per The Athletic, "Wilson was convinced that Carroll and Schneider were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls and individual awards, according to league sources." According to the report, "top officials" in Seattle met and decided to pursue trading Wilson "within days" of his request to oust Carroll and Schneider.

A lawyer for the 34-year-old signal-caller also disputed the report as "entirely fabricated."

At various points throughout the 2022 season, there were reports of past tension between Carroll and Wilson. In November, while praising Smith, Seattle's 71-year-old coach took an apparent jab at Wilson when discussing the West Virginia product's use of the play-calling wristband, something his predecessor evidently didn't do.

Although the Broncos and Seahawks were Week 1 opponents in 2022, they won't be facing each other during the 2023 regular season.