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Seahawks Cut OL Gabe Jackson

March 9th, 2023 at 5:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks were in better financial shape than most other teams as of Thursday, but they have opened up more cap space by moving on from a veteran member of their offense. Seattle has released guard Gabe Jackson, per the transaction wire.

Jackson, 31, had one season remaining on his contract, and was due to count for just over $11.2MM on the Seahawks’ books this year. No guaranteed money remained on his pact, however, putting him at risk of being let go. This move will create $6.5MM in cap space for Seattle, while generating a dead money charge of $4.8MM.

Jackson spent the first seven years of his career with the Raiders. His time there included a five-year, $56MM deal being signed in 2017, a sign of his success as an immediate starter and an indication that he could remain with the organization for the duration of his career. However, he was traded to Seattle in 2021, an offseason in which he was expected to become a cap casualty.

Not long after acquiring the former third-rounder, Seattle signed him to a three-year, $22.58MM extension. The first two years of that pact included notable guarantees, an understandable point of emphasis for Jackson after the way his Raiders tenure came to an end. He agreed to a minor restructure of his deal in October, which inflated his 2023 cap hit slightly.

Jackson remained a full-time starter in both of his Seattle seasons, missing a total of three games due to injury across that span. He generated a career-worst PFF grade of 55 in 2022, continuation of a general decline in that regard in recent years. This past season was the second straight in which he allowed 31 or more pressures in pass protection, so it comes as little surprise that the Seahawks are parting ways and turning their attention to younger options. Still, Jackson will represent one of the most experienced o-line options in this year’s free agent class.

In addition to Jackson, Seattle has released linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven. The 25-year-old contributed on special teams in 2019 and 2020, but has been sidelined by a torn ACL since, spending the entire 2022 campaign on the PUP list. With these two moves, the Seahawks will head towards the new league year next week with nearly $30MM in cap space.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Draft, Purdy, 49ers, Ebukam, Clark, Seahawks, Staff

March 8th, 2023 at 1:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals have fared well when picking in the top five over the past two decades, landing the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson and Kyler Murray. The team’s second-half swoon last season led to a rebuild, giving a new regime the No. 3 overall pick. Similar to the Bears, the Cards are prepared to move down. GM Monti Ossenfort made that clear, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The team gave Murray a landmark extension last summer, and although Year 1 of that deal did not go well, he remains Arizona’s franchise quarterback. As such, the team will be prepared to move down to accommodate a QB-seeking team (or one eyeing the top non-passer available) that was unable to land Chicago’s pick. Such a move would bolster a roster that enters free agency with several holes.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Ossenfort also said the Cardinals have been in talks with free agents-to-be Zach Allen and Byron Murphy. The first-year GM indicated the Cardinals “would love” to keep both players, though he noted the obvious financial caveat (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban) that could lead each out of town. Both were drafted to play in Vance Joseph‘s system in 2019, and each will be among the top free agents at their respective positions. If Murphy and Allen leave, cornerback and defensive line would become areas of dire need in Arizona. The Cards did not put much around Murphy since Peterson’s 2021 exit, and Allen following J.J. Watt off the roster would obviously put the onus on the NFC West squad adding reinforcements up front.
  • Brock Purdy‘s postponed elbow surgery will take place Friday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. The breakthrough 49ers quarterback was initially scheduled to undergo the UCL repair Feb. 22, but swelling led to a delay. The seventh-round pick who would be on track to retain his starting role is expected to face a six-month recovery timetable, which would run up against Week 1. This creates more QB uncertainty in San Francisco, though Trey Lance is on track to participate in OTAs. The plan remains for Purdy to have a less invasive elbow procedure, but he acknowledged Tommy John surgery — elbow reconstruction — could take place. The latter route would threaten to hijack Purdy’s 2023 season.
  • The 49ers discussed trading for Frank Clark before the veteran defensive end agreed to a Chiefs restructure in 2022, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. Clark is now available, having been a Chiefs cap casualty this week. The former Seahawks draftee’s 13.5 playoff sacks are the third-most in NFL history, but he never topped eight during a regular season with the Chiefs. The 49ers could consider Clark opposite Nick Bosa, with Samson Ebukam being viewed (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com) as likely to price himself out of San Francisco. Ebukam, 27, recorded 9.5 sacks in his two-year 49ers run. He could command an eight-figure-per-year deal, per Fowler, as this edge rusher market is fairly light. Even ahead of his age-30 season, Clark may not come much cheaper.
  • Azeez Al-Shaair figures to join Ebukam on the way out of the Bay Area, Barrows adds. The 49ers have already given Fred Warner a top-market contract, and they reached a midlevel agreement to retain ascending sidekick Dre Greenlaw last year. Al-Shaair will join a crowded off-ball linebacker market next week.
  • The Seahawks went through with some front office promotions recently. Nolan Teasley has moved into the role of assistant GM, while Matt Berry will become the team’s senior director of player personnel. Teasley has been with the team since 2013, moving up from the scouting level. Berry has been working with the Seahawks longer than GM John Schneider, having started with the team in 2008. Additionally, Willie Schneider will step into Beasley’s former role of pro personnel director. Aaron Hineline will replace Berry as director of college scouting.
  • The Seahawks’ recent Phil Haynes deal will be a one-year, $4MM pact, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. The prospective guard starter will receive a fully guaranteed $1.3MM base salary and a $2.2MM signing bonus.

Seahawks, QB Geno Smith Agree To Deal

March 7th, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 7: As is often the case, a later update pegged this contract at a slightly lower value. The deal’s base value sits at three years and $75MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Smith will collect $40MM fully guaranteed, per Garafolo, and incentives comprise the rest of the $105MM max value. Smith going from a $3.5MM agreement in 2022 to this represents a staggering leap for the 11th-year veteran, even though the $25MM-per-year base pay is not quite what came out Monday night.

MARCH 6: The Seahawks have subscribed for more of quarterback Geno Smith, signing the veteran to a new multi-year contract, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. After leading the Seahawks to the postseason in his first year as a full-time starter for the team, the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year is coming back to Seattle.

Smith agreed to a three-year deal worth $105MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. While many details are as of yet unknown, Smith is expected to make $52MM in his first year under the deal. After making $17.55MM over the first 10 years of his career, Smith is now set to double that in his contract’s $35MM average annual value (AAV) and nearly triple it in his first year of the deal. The new contract ranks 13th for NFL quarterbacks in total value and 10th for AAV.

After serving as a full-time starting quarterback in his rookie and sophomore seasons, Smith, a second-round pick for the Jets in 2013, was seemingly relegated to backup duties. After backing up Ryan Fitzpatrick, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers for the Jets, Giants, and Chargers, respectively, Smith finally wound up in Seattle to battle Paxton Lynch for the backup quarterback position behind Russell Wilson.

Smith spent the next three years as one of the more capable backups in the NFL, proving as much in 2021 during a four-game stretch that saw Smith throw for 702 yards, five touchdowns, and only one interception while replacing Wilson in surprisingly competitive contests. When Wilson was traded to the Broncos, Smith was given an opportunity to compete for the starting job with newly acquired Drew Lock, who came over in the Wilson trade.

Smith ended up winning Seattle’s starting job and rewarded the Seahawks with the best season of his career. In his first season as a starting quarterback in eight years, Smith led his team to the playoffs, earned a Pro Bowl bid, led the league in completion percentage, and won Comeback Player of the Year. Smith posted career-high numbers in passing yards (4,282) and passing touchdowns (30), and his interception total (11) was the lowest in any of his three seasons as a starter. Smith’s yardage total set a Seahawks record.

The well-traveled passer will now be under contract in Seattle through the 2025 season, during which he will turn 35. It’s good to see Smith make so much out of his second opportunity to start in the NFL. It will be exciting to see how much more he can make of it in the next three years.

NFC Coaching Updates: Wilson, Seahawks, Cardinals

March 5th, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Ely Allen

When Jonathan Gannon departed to become the new head coach in Arizona, the Eagles had several options to fill the newly vacant defensive coordinator position. In the end, Philadelphia decided to hire externally, bringing in Seahawks assistant head coach and defensive assistant Sean Desai. According to Ian Rapoport, one in-house assistant coach has decided to part ways with the franchise after being passed over for the promotion, a situation not uncommon with coordinator jobs.

Former Eagles passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson was mentioned early as a top candidate to replace his former boss. Wilson certainly deserved mention. With the title of passing game coordinator, Wilson coached a group that allowed the few passing yards in the league this season. This feat is made all the more impressive by the fact that opposing offenses were doing whatever they could to keep up with the league’s No. 2 scoring offense.

Had Wilson not been a favorite for the promotion in Philadelphia, he likely would’ve been a hot commodity around the league. He’s held back only by a lack of experience, perhaps why Desai, a former defensive coordinator, was granted with the coordinator position over him. It’s a bit late for Wilson to be hitting the open market as many jobs have been filled. As far as I can tell, the Bills are the only team with a vacant defensive coordinator position. Wilson shouldn’t have any issues finding a job, though, after his success in Philadelphia.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFC:

  • The Seahawks have added a pass rush specialist coach to their staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, hiring Brandon Jordan to the position. Jordan is widely regarded as a top pass rush coach in the game, long providing private training sessions with NFL pass rushers such as Jadeveon Clowney, Cameron Heyward, Chandler Jones, Von Miller, and T.J. Watt. He most recently held the same position at Michigan State, helping them go from 97th in the country with 12.0 sacks in 2020 to 6th in the nation with 43.0 sacks in 2021. This will be his first NFL opportunity.
  • With defensive coordinator Vance Joseph heading from Arizona to Denver, a defensive assistant is expected to follow Joseph from the Cardinals, according to Troy Renck of Insider Denver7. Renck reportedly fully expects Cardinals defensive quality control coach Rob Grosso to follow Joseph to Denver. Grosso had followed Joseph to Arizona after he was fired from his head coaching position in 2019. Grosso had served as assistant to the head coach in Denver working with outside linebackers and special teams. The Joseph disciple is expected to find his way back to Denver with his boss.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll: Seattle Is “Totally Connected” To Collegiate QBs

March 5th, 2023 at 8:34am CST by Rory Parks

Reports on contract talks between quarterback Geno Smith and the Seahawks have indicated that both sides are optimistic a deal will get done. However, the latest such report was a full month ago. With the March 7 deadline for teams to utilize a franchise or transition tag looming, it is unclear how much progress has been made in negotiations, or if Seattle will hit its breakout passer with a tag.

Deadlines can always spur action, so it would not be surprising to see a deal struck over the next 48 hours or so. The Seahawks, though, are carefully evaluating the top quarterbacks in this year’s class, and as they possess the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft due to last offseason’s Russell Wilson trade (along with their own No. 20 overall selection), the club is well-positioned to select a high-profile signal-caller if it so chooses.

At the scouting combine in Indianapolis last week, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, “[w]e are totally connected to the quarterbacks that are coming out. This is a really huge opportunity for us. It’s a rare opportunity. We’ve been drafting in the low 20s for such a long time; you just don’t get the chance with these guys. So we’re deeply involved with all that.”

When asked how much the Seahawks are studying this year’s quarterback class, GM John Schneider said, “a lot. Every year, honestly, we really look at it a lot. Like I said earlier, we haven’t picked fifth overall since we’ve been here. So yeah, I got out to see a lot of quarterbacks this year. It was pretty fun.” 

As Carroll and Schneider indicated, the ‘Hawks have typically had a native pick late in the first round during their tenure in Seattle, and the most coveted collegiate passers generally do not fall that far. So while Schneider acknowledged that he looks closely at every year’s quarterback class, his 2023 draft capital gives him an opportunity he has rarely had.

Of course, as Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic posits, the comments made by Carroll and Schneider could be part of a ploy to get quarterback-needy teams to leapfrog the Seahawks in a trade-up maneuver, thereby increasing the chances that an elite non-QB like Alabama edge defender Will Anderson Jr. or Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter falls to them (subscription required). But Dugar does not believe that is the case. Even when Wilson was piloting the club to division titles and playoff runs, Schneider attended the pro days of quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, and he has regretted not selecting more QBs over his 13 drafts as Seattle’s GM.

To be clear, even if Schneider is serious about nabbing one of this year’s prized quarterback prospects, it does not mean that he will allow Smith to walk. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) projects that a fair contract for Smith would be a two-year pact worth between $55MM-$60MM, and given that the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year will turn 33 in October, a two- or three-year accord sounds about right. Which means that Schneider could draft a top-flight quarterback and groom him behind Smith for a couple of years before turning over the reins, just as mentor Ted Thompson did when, as general manager of the Packers in 2005, he selected Aaron Rodgers and had him sit behind Brett Favre for several seasons.

Schneider recently said that contract discussions with Smith have been “positive,” but he did not indicate that an agreement was particularly close. And as Henderson writes in a separate piece, Schneider may not be inclined to use a tag on Smith (as our own Sam Robinson suggested last month, and as ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote in a subscription-only piece today). If he doesn’t, and if no deal is reached by the time the legal tampering period opens on March 13, Smith would then be able to talk to other clubs, and the Seahawks would not have the right of first refusal.

Meanwhile, Seattle still wants to retain Drew Lock (ideally to reprise his 2022 role as Smith’s backup). Several experts that Henderson has consulted believe Lock will get no more than a one-year deal for the league minimum salary ($1.08MM), while others believe he will be able to command slightly more, but no higher than $3MM.

OL Austin Blythe Announces Retirement

February 28th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

After an off-grid season in Kansas City as a backup, Austin Blythe returned to a role as a steady starter with Seattle. He will make that Seahawks season a one-off, however.

Blythe announced Tuesday he will retire after seven NFL seasons (Instagram link). The 30-year-old blocker was set to be a free agent, coming off a full season as the Seahawks’ starting center.

Sneaking onto the draft radar in 2016, Blythe managed to become a regular starter as a seventh-round pick. The ex-Iowa blocker ended up making 66 starts during his seven-year career, the final 17 (plus a playoff outing in San Francisco) came with the Seahawks. Seattle gave Blythe a one-year, $4MM deal to come over from Kansas City, where he backed up rookie standout Creed Humphrey in 2021. Blythe made sure the Seahawks had that center position, one that had gone through some inconsistency in recent years, covered.

A Colts draftee, Blythe will be best remembered for his Rams work. Indianapolis waived Blythe shortly after the 2017 draft, but Los Angeles claimed him in advance of Sean McVay‘s first season. Blythe worked as a backup for the 2017 Rams but started for their Super Bowl LIII-qualifying 2018 iteration and L.A.’s ensuing two squads. The Rams brought him back on a one-year deal in 2020, and Pro Football Focus graded that as a top-10 center season.

The Rams had moved Blythe from guard to center midway through his L.A. tenure, but the versatility did not bring much interest in 2021. Pete Carroll said that Blythe was ready to walk away last year, but some among the Seahawks convinced him to return. Blythe reunited with ex-Rams assistants Shane Waldron and Andy Dickerson with the Seahawks. Carroll had said Blythe previously expressed interest in re-signing with the Seahawks, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, but his Tuesday announcement will lead the team to look into other options at snapper.

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Eagles Hire Sean Desai As DC; Team Eyeing Mike Pettine For Assistant Role?

February 28th, 2023 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:36pm: The hire is now official. After two meetings, the Eagles are giving Desai a second chance at a coordinator job.

2:21pm: Sean Desai‘s two interviews with the Eagles look to have won over team brass. The Seahawks assistant is heading to Philadelphia, Pete Carroll confirmed Tuesday (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta).

While the Seattle HC did not entirely announce it was for the Philadelphia DC post, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noted Tuesday morning (via Twitter) the former Chicago DC had emerged as a strong candidate for the position. This stands to be Desai’s second chance at a coordinator gig; his first one ended following Matt Nagy‘s firing last year.

The Bears promoted Desai to DC in 2021, but the team’s regime change naturally led to coordinator switches. Desai, 39, trekked to Seattle and worked under Carroll this past season. He drew interest from many teams this offseason. The Browns, Dolphins, Vikings, Broncos and Eagles interviewed Desai for their DC posts. Desai dropped out of Minnesota’s search to pursue the Denver gig, after former mentor Vic Fangio recommended the Broncos to the young assistant. But Vance Joseph ended up with that gig. The Eagles, however, had shown interest during Desai’s time as a Broncos candidate.

Desai will replace Jonathan Gannon as DC. While the Bears ranked 22nd in scoring defense in 2021, they finished sixth in yards allowed. A struggling offense hamstrung Chicago that year, and it led to a full-scale overhaul. Seattle did not make much improvement defensively last season, dropping from 11th to 25th in total defense from 2021-22. Nevertheless, the Eagles look set to bet on Desai.

The Eagles have also been connected to adding Mike Pettine to their staff, Geoff Mosher of InsidetheBirds.com tweets. Brought on as a Vikings assistant during Ed Donatell‘s one-and-done stay, Pettine was a Bears senior defensive aide during the 2021 season. The former Browns HC and veteran DC could be set to reprise his role on a Desai-led staff. With Brian Flores now in charge of Minnesota’s defense, it would make sense for Pettine — a former Packers, Bills and Jets DC — to land elsewhere.

Eagles DBs coach Dennard Wilson served as a strong candidate for the DC job, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports confirms. The Eagles will promote from within to fill their OC post, elevating QBs coach Brian Johnson, but it certainly looks like they are going with an outside hire on defense. Wilson has been with the team for the past two years; it will be interesting to see if he sticks around under Desai.

Eagles To Conduct Second DC Interview With Sean Desai

February 27th, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles are in catch-up mode with respect to coordinator hires, having lost both of their top assistants after the Super Bowl. Their search for a new top defensive coach could be nearing an end, though.

Philadelphia will interview Sean Desai for a second time today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Seahawks defensive assistant was on the radar of multiple teams during this year’s hiring cycle, but has yet to land a coordinator position. He was named as one of the initial candidates for the Eagles’ vacancy, and now finds himself as a finalist.

Desai, 39, headed to Seattle last offseason under the title of associate head coach. That marked his first job outside of Chicago, where he had spent the previous nine years. He worked his way from quality control coach to a one-year stint as defensive coordinator in 2021. That season, the Bears ranked sixth in the league in total defense, but sweeping changes to the coaching staff and front office the following offseason led him to Seattle.

In 2022, a Seahawks unit which moved on from franchise icon Bobby Wagner struggled in run defense in particular, which contributed to poor overall rankings in yardage and points allowed. The team did fare surprisingly well in the secondary, though, led by rookie corner and NFL interception leader Tariq Woolen. Seattle also finished top-10 in the league in sacks with a re-tooled pass rush.

Desai would inherit a strong defense if he were to be named as Jonathan Gannon‘s replacement, though the unit does feature a number of high-profile pending free agents. Desai would constitute an experienced staffer at the NFL level, compared to some of the college candidates they have shown interest in.

Here is an updated look at the Eagles’ DC search:

  • Sean Desai, defensive assistant (Seahawks): To conduct second interview 2/27
  • Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 2/21-2/22
  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Interviewed
  • Chris Shula, defensive backs coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jim Leonhard, defensive coordinator (Wisconsin): Interviewed
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Eagles): Mentioned as candidate

Russell Wilson Wanted Sean Payton To Replace Pete Carroll With Seahawks?

February 24th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

More information emerged regarding Russell Wilson‘s odd 2022 Friday morning. A report from Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic indicates the veteran quarterback made a request that Seahawks ownership fire both Pete Carroll and John Schneider, citing the duo had inhibited his pursuit of Super Bowls and awards.

This alleged request came weeks before the Seahawks decided to trade Wilson to the Broncos. Wilson denied (via Twitter) he asked for the Seattle HC and GM’s firings, and a lawyer for the QB described that assertion as “entirely fabricated.”

Wilson-Carroll disagreements about the direction of the Seahawks took place ahead of the QB’s 2021 trade destination list surfacing, and after the 2022 trade, reports indicating the NFC West team viewed its former franchise passer as declining came out. A shockingly mediocre Wilson season commenced in Denver. His partnership with Nathaniel Hackett proved a poor fit, and Hackett became the third first-year HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before season’s end.

The Broncos have since traded for Sean Payton, nearly two years after Wilson’s trade list included the Saints. Wilson wanted the Seahawks to trade for Payton’s rights after his Saints exit last year, according to The Athletic. Payton announced he was leaving the Saints on Jan. 25, 2022; Schneider and Broncos GM George Paton began discussing a trade ahead of the Feb. 5 Senior Bowl. The trade took place March 8.

The previously referenced Latavius Murray text message to his former coach occurred just before the Broncos’ Christmas blowout loss to the Rams. Payton had said Murray texted him about he and a backfield teammate wanting him in Denver, with the veteran running back confirming Wilson was the teammate. Murray sent the text Dec. 23, per The Athletic. The Broncos fired Hackett on Dec. 26, following a 51-14 loss to the Rams. No accusation is made of Wilson wanting Hackett to go, but that relationship had long trended in that direction. During the Broncos’ coaching search, Wilson reached out to Payton.

Payton soon put the kibosh on Wilson’s team having full access to Denver’s facility, but Paton allowed Wilson’s personal coach (Jake Heaps), a physical therapist and a nutritionist such privileges last year. Heaps had partial access to the Seahawks’ facility, per The Athletic, and Wilson did not have an office there. Wilson agreed to stop using the office and to keep his support staff out of the building over the season’s final two weeks.

Wilson organized weekly meetings for Denver’s offense during the players’ Tuesday off day, and The Athletic notes Heaps was part of those summits, which were aimed around preparing for the next opponent. An anonymous coach also said he did not agree with the evaluations Wilson and Heaps made on scouting reports distributed on Tuesdays. With Hackett also being accused of being too deferential to players, the potentially incongruent scouting reports would provide a partial explanation for the Broncos’ myriad offensive issues. Those came to a head during an ugly Thursday loss to the Colts in October and persisted for much of the season.

The team ended the year with three play-callers. All three (Hackett, QBs coach Klint Kubiak, OC Justin Outten) are elsewhere now. Melvin Gordon, whom the Broncos waived in November after extensive fumbling problems, said Hackett attempting to blend Wilson’s Seattle offense and Hackett’s preferred Green Bay-style blueprint was “a bit much.” The organization fired Vic Fangio in large part due to his team’s struggles offensively, but the Broncos’ Pat Shurmur–Teddy Bridgewater setup ranked 23rd in scoring. The Hackett-Wilson season produced a last-place ranking, and while numerous injuries contributed to this decline, the Broncos’ QB-HC partnership generated most of the attention. Payton, who signed a five-year contract, will be tasked with cleaning up this mess.

Payton will call the Broncos’ plays next season, accepting the team’s offer after DeMeco Ryans had generated some buzz. Ryans may not have been a serious candidate. While he preferred the Texans, The Athletic describes the former 49ers DC’s Broncos interview as “awkward.”

The Seahawks have begun negotiations with Geno Smith, whose surprising season earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors. It remains to be seen if the organization will make a true long-term commitment to Wilson’s former backup, but the team that had made some draft missteps late in Wilson’s tenure will be in position to land more starters via the 2023 first- and second-round picks obtained in the Wilson swap. Carroll is signed through the 2025 season; Schneider’s latest extension runs through 2027. Both decision-makers are going into their 14th seasons in Seattle.

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