He may have led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title, but when he returned to the Pacific Northwest with his new team on Monday, Russell Wilson certainly didn’t get a hero’s welcome.
Wilson – now the quarterback of the Denver Broncos after being traded by the Seahawks after a successful 10-year tenure – was booed by the majority inside Lumen Field when he took to the gridiron for the first time in his new colors.
And the night didn’t get any better for Wilson as he and the Broncos held off the Seahawks 17-16.
But Wilson said he expected a hostile reception upon his return to the city he had called home for a decade.
“It didn’t bother me, you know, it’s a hostile environment, it always has been. I didn’t expect them to be clapping every once in a while,” Wilson said with a smile after the game.
The 33-year-old added: “For me, Seattle has been amazing for me. Like I said, anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t know my heart and doesn’t know how much this city means to me. Tonight was special, it was on the other side of what I’m used to, but it was still a special environment and a place I’ve always loved.”
It was always going to be a memorable return to Seattle for Wilson.
The Seahawks selected the quarterback with a third-round pick in 2012. During his time in the Pacific Northwest, he led the franchise to eight postseasons, including two Super Bowl appearances and a championship victory in 2014.
However, after relations between Wilson and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll in recent years, he was traded to the Broncos in the offseason for a huge amount in a trade that shocked the sport.
Once he arrived in Denver, he signed a five-year extension with the team reportedly worth $245 million, and his debut happened to come in his former home turf of Seattle.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrows (9) throws during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 on Sept. 11 in Cincinnati. Barrow would go on to have five turnovers on the day — four interceptions and a lost fumble — in a 23-20 loss.
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) had nine receptions for 184 yards and two TDs in a big 23-7 win against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 11 in Minneapolis. This passage, however, was incomplete.
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Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) makes a run in the red zone against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Chubb had 141 yards on 22 carries in a tight 26-24 win for the Browns.
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Soldiers hold the American flag during the national anthem before the first half of the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 11 in Atlanta.
The Bills are serious title contenders in 2022.” />
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) holds Los Angeles Rams tight end Nick Scott (33) in the third quarter of a huge 31-10 victory against the defending Super Bowl champions at SoFi Stadium. A statement win on NFL Opening Day shows the Bills are serious title contenders in 2022.
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Detroit Lions fans play Jamaal Williams (30) at Ford Field. The Lions fell just short of a late comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles — scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter — to lose 38-35.
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Free agent running back Odell Beckham Jr. poses for a photo before the season opener between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8. OBJ has flirted with signing with either the Rams or the Bills this offseason, and even though he showed up in Rams colors on the day, he went viral after the Bills’ big win, tweeting, “Sheeesh… Bills mafia ? ?????”
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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (R) makes a tackle against Atlanta Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell (L) in the second half of their game in Atlanta on Sept. 11. 14 in the fourth to win 27-26.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields celebrates after the Bears’ 19-10 win against the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field. Fields took two falls on a rainy day in Chicago.
However, it was his replacement on the Seattle sideline who really stole the show.
Geno Smith, who was the backup behind Wilson, looked solid in his first start since the end of the Wilson era, finishing with 195 yards on 23/28 passing with two touchdowns.
Wilson threw for 340 yards on 29/42 passing and a touchdown, but the game ended with the ball slipping out of his hands despite the resources invested in signing him.
After a sloppy second half by both teams, including two fumbles from the one-yard line on back-to-back possessions to start the second half for Denver, Wilson drove his team down the field in the final two minutes.
With 20 seconds left, on fourth-and-five at Seattle’s 46-yard line, Denver head coach Nathaniel Hackett had a decision to make: let his new, prized quarterback try to get him the required yardage, or to attempt a very long goal. ?
In the end, Hackett opted for the safer option of a 64-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds to claim a victory from the jaws of defeat.
However, Brandon McManus’ attempt flew wide left, meaning Wilson’s return to Seattle ended in disappointment.
But after the game, Wilson emphasized that he supported Hackett’s decision to go for the end zone instead of letting him try to keep the offense moving.
“I believe in Coach Hackett,” Wilson said. “I believe in what we are doing. Believe in everything, and anytime you can try to find a way to make a play on fourth-and-5, that’s great, too. Also, I don’t think it was the wrong decision. I think so [McManus] he can make it.”
The loss means that in a highly competitive AFC West, the Broncos are already back in the bottom eight, while the Geno Smith era in Seattle is off to a flying start.
