Seattle Seahawks fans, affectionately called the 12th Man, learned a tough lesson over the last few days.
Never take what a coach or a team executive says in base form because there might be a different meaning.
This behavior is vivid in the memory of then-Baltimore Colts fans when team owner Robert Irsay constantly declared that he had no intention of moving the team to Indianapolis.
It’s what St. Louis fans might have felt when the Rams suddenly left town for Los Angeles.
Then there’s the Seahawks who did the opposite of what head coach Pete Carroll publicly declared.
And, of course, when Pete Carroll said last week:
"We have no intention of trading Russell Wilson," it translated to:
"We hope Aaron Rodgers stays in Green Bay so we can get a better trade package for Russell Wilson."— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) March 9, 2022
Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Brandt tweeted, “And, of course, when Pete Carroll said last week: ‘We have no intention of trading Russell Wilson,’ it translated to: ‘We hope Aaron Rodgers stays in Green Bay so we can get a better trade package for Russell Wilson.'”
Brandt has a point because if Rodgers transferred to the Denver Broncos essentially as a free agent, there would be fewer teams with interest in Wilson.
But while they could get offers from multiple franchises, Wilson still had a final say because of his no-trade clause.
Other teams could offer the world, but it wouldn’t mean anything if the Pro Bowl quarterback would not waive that stipulation.
The Broncos are one of the teams that sparked Wilson’s interest, leaving Denver at Seattle’s mercy when it came to negotiations.
Seattle Hasn’t Won The Trade
The Seahawks faithful should forever remember March 8, 2022, as the day that ownership chose Pete Carroll and John Schneider over Wilson.
This one move will bring them further to the cellar with no end in sight.
It looked like Carroll should be the odd man out after Wilson had a strong finish last season after getting surgery on his dislocated finger.
Instead, they chose to retain the think tank that selected three Pro Bowlers in their last 50-plus draft selections.
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