Russell Wilson will be a Denver Bronco when the calendar turns to the new league year.
Tuesday's massive, blockbuster deal involving the star quarterback will become official in mere days. Seattle is still processing the emotions associated with learning its face of the franchise was headed elsewhere. So is Wilson.
The signal-caller tweeted his thanks to the 12s on Wednesday:
Wilson arrived in Seattle as a third-round pick in 2012 whose path to stardom was seen by few, if any. The quarterback had just completed an incredible single season at Wisconsin, leading the Badgers to a Rose Bowl appearance as a graduate transfer from N.C. State. The skills were impossible to ignore, but his 5-foot-11 height led to him sliding past the first 74 picks of the draft, with doubters believing he'd struggle to replicate such success at the next level.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll were happy to take him at No. 75 overall. The return on investment was incredible.
Wilson beat out the handsomely compensated Matt Flynn for the starting job in 2011 and jump-started a run of success that spanned a decade in Seattle, helping the Seahawks reach consecutive Super Bowls and winning one Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII. Wilson reached superstardom and seemed entrenched in Seattle, signing a lucrative deal in 2019 and remaining atop the franchise's roster when other integral players departed for greener (as in dollars) pastures.
After a disappointing 7-10 season in 2021, Seattle realized it was time to ship Wilson for a haul of players and capital that can be used to remake the Seahawks into a competitive team. Wilson will move to Denver, where he'll join a team prepared to compete with young talent on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will look back fondly on his 10 seasons spent in Seattle and turn their gaze toward the future.
So ends the tradition of Wilson finishing his press conferences with the same phrase: "Go 'Hawks." And so begins the process of becoming a Bronco.
