Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson must mend relationship with his O-line
Before the 2021 Season starts, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson needs to make things right with his offensive line after throwing them under the bus in an interview.
By now, Seattle Seahawks fans are all too familiar with quarterback Russell Wilson‘s post-Super Bowl rant on the Dan Patrick Show. There is no need to rehash it here. But if Russ and the team are to move on, some kind of mending fences should be done.
Wilson and the front office
Wilson directed a good amount of venom at the front office. Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll are big boys. It’s in their job descriptions to take criticism. Russ’s remarks came somewhat unexpectedly, which was cause for tension. If the relationship were that bad, it would have festered by now (see Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers).
Earlier this week, Carrol was on the Rich Eisen show. He called the situation “old news.” We’ll see what happens when camp opens up and everyone is in the same building.
Wilson and the offensive line
Anyone who watches football sympathizes with a quarterback who gets hit way too much. That was one of the biggest takeaways from the DP Show interview. Since 2012, Wilson has been the most sacked quarterback in the NFL. Outpacing his peers by a large margin. That doesn’t include the hard shots he takes after letting go of the ball. Russ is tired of it. Carroll can’t be happy either and the 12’s don’t want to see it.
Give Schneider and Carroll credit, they listened. As a result, Wilson got much of what he wanted on the field.
Schneider made moves to improve their offensive line. When Mike Iupati retired, it opened up a hole at left guard. Seattle sent their fifth-round pick to the Raiders for guard Gabe Jackson, then signed Jackson to an extension. They also re-signed center Ethan Pocic and drafted tackle Stone Forsythe in the sixth round.
Are the Seahawks finished with their offensive line? Probably not, but it’s close. It’s a reasonable assumption. Right tackle Brandon Shell for one hasn’t shown that he is a consistent pass blocker.
Even with changes, Wilson has to get on the same page as his linemen. That’s the last thing any QB should do is tick off the men who protect him. Whether it comes in the form of one-on-one meetings or as a group, Russ must let the offensive linemen know that he appreciates them. How he does it is likely irrelevant. That he does it is crucial.
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