Things didn't go well for the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson as a pairing. That much is obvious. But one thing we can all agree on is that the separation between Wilson and the Seahawks involved some below-the-belt shots taken at Wilson by the team for which he is an absolute legend.
Wilson is the best quarterback to ever play for the Seattle Seahawks. In his first 10 years in the league, he won more games than any other quarterback in NFL history over the course of their first 10 years in the NFL. Wilson won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013. They made it to back-to-back Super Bowls. They were a consistent contender in the NFC while he was there. There's a reason why the Broncos were so thrilled to be able to trade for Russ, even giving him a massive contract extension before he played a down for the team.
We know now that was a mistake, but it doesn't change the fact that Russell Wilson's accomplishments in Seattle were mostly thought of from the outside looking in as Hall of Fame worthy. He's one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of all-time.
To see the Seahawks take as many shots at Wilson as they did all throughout the 2022 season was wild. And it wasn't just former players in the media taking shots, but people who cover the Seahawks for news outlets and even upper management in Seattle taking digs. Things reached a new low about a year ago when the Seahawks issued Russ's old #3 to Artie Burns, an egregious sign of disrespect.
Now, nobody wears #3 for the Seahawks, and order is restored. As a matter of fact, with Pete Carroll now gone, it's interesting that the Seahawks appear to be attempting to rebuild the bridge they had seemingly burned with Wilson. Russ recently posted this to his Twitter/X page:
Forever Grateful. @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/Jdnu2pmN3m
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) July 2, 2024
Chalk it up to "absence makes the heart grow fonder" if you want. Chalk it up to the Seahawks feeling like Russ was slighted by the Broncos if you want. Whatever the case, this gift from the organization to Wilson is the first step in making amends for the outrageous way Wilson was treated after he was traded in 2022.
The Seahawks were understandably upset that Wilson wanted out of Seattle, but Wilson did so much for that franchise including helping deliver their first-ever Super Bowl win. It was a shame for Wilson to have to deal with so many former teammates throwing him under the bus and the organization never coming to bat for him. They got their "revenge" in Week 1 of the 2022 season when the Broncos came to Seattle and struggled offensively in a one-point loss. And certainly, there were people in and around that organization who took way too much satisfaction in the way Wilson struggled all throughout the 2022 campaign.
This may be a small gesture on the surface, but it's actually a really big deal. Russell Wilson never got to wear these throwback uniforms as a member of the Seahawks. Even though he's a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers now, this has to be a super meaningful gesture to him when it would have been easy to feel alienated by that franchise for the last two-plus years.