As soon as he took the podium Wednesday, Nathaniel Hackett accurately captured what all of Broncos Country is feeling right now.
"Wow," Hackett said as soon as he stepped in front of the microphone. "Come on, y'all. Russell Wilson!"
Denver celebrated reeling in its biggest fish since signing Peyton Manning with Wednesday's press conference, and the focus quickly became clear: The Broncos now have Wilson, and they're intent on succeeding.
"I came here for one reason," Wilson said before repeating himself for emphasis. "I came here for one reason. That's to win."
The Wilson trade sent shockwaves through the NFL when the agreement first became public, and Wednesday's calendar turn to the start of the new league year made the deal official. Wilson told reporters the decision to part with the Seattle Seahawks, the only franchise he'd ever known, was mutual.
The response from Seattle, however, differed. The club released three separate statements on the matter Wednesday -- one from Jody Allen, the chair of the Seahawks, another from coach Pete Carroll, and a third from general manager John Schneider -- all followed the same theme: Wilson wanted this change.
"This has always been a challenging time of year where we have consistently maintained a competitive approach to getting better as a team," Carroll said in the statement. "As Jody stated, Russ' desire in doing something different afforded the organization an opportunity to compete in multiple ways. He has always been the ultimate competitor whose leadership and consistency helped shape our culture. Our franchise has won a lot of games and we will always be grateful for the exciting moments and incredible records."
Carroll followed the same company line in his press conference Wednesday, touting the benefits of the Wilson trade to the future of the franchise while also rambling a bit on the value and importance of what he sees as second chances for players arriving in Seattle. Carroll ran down the list of Seahawks players past and present, summarizing their individual situations as they related to the club, and even tossed in an intriguing name: Colin Kaepernick.
Carroll commended Kaepernick for staying in game-ready shape during his time out of the NFL and said he believes the quarterback deserves another shot in the league. He just doesn't know if that's in Seattle.
As for those who are in Seattle, Carroll was happy to pump up the stock of the new quarterback in town, Drew Lock, telling reporters he believes Lock can help the Seahawks contend for a title "if he plays like he did early in his career." Carroll and Schneider declined to comment on the group of quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, instead expressing excitement about the other two players who arrived in the trade: tight end Noah Fant and defensive tackle Shelby Harris.
Schneider said the Seahawks loved Fant in the 2019 draft enough to write his name down and felt similarly about Lock. Now they're both Seahawks, and will be expected to play significant roles in the team's immediate future -- at least as of now.
Back in Denver, the Broncos maintained the same outward approach. The AFC West has loaded up on talent this offseason, but with Wilson on the team, Denver feels good about its chances.
"In terms of the AFC West, I want to play against the best," Wilson said. "I don't fear anything. So I'm looking forward to it."
Wilson waived his no-trade clause to go to Denver because he sees a bright future with the Broncos. It's so bright, it might even catch the gleam of Lombardi Trophies -- yes, multiple.
"My goal is to play 10 or 12 more years and hopefully win three or four more Super Bowls," Wilson said.
Those are some sky-high expectations. It's only right Wilson set them in the Mile High City.
