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Anthony Gharib, ESPN
During a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, “Club Shay Shay,” Sharpe tried to learn more about what happened between Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson from his guest, Marshawn Lynch.
Sharpe originally asked Lynch what happened to Carroll and Wilson’s relationship. But Lynch bluntly said he isn’t the right person to ask due to his relationship with both parties.
Candidly, Lynch said he respects Wilson as a player and a teammate.
“I’ll take Russ and I’ll put him at quarterback and I’ll rock with him because I’ve done that,” he said.
But, according to Lynch, anything he says might be taken with malice because of the fallout from the goal-line interception Wilson threw in Super Bowl XLIX that led to the Seahawks’ 28-24 defeat to the New England Patriots and contributed to Wilson’s eventual departure for the Denver Broncos. In terms of a relationship, Lynch said, he and Wilson didn’t have one off the field.
“Can’t pick up the phone or call old boy or nothing,” Lynch said.
The aftermath of a game against the Tennessee Titans in 2013 stood out to Lynch when reflecting on his relationship with Wilson.
Lynch said the Titans didn’t have a good secondary at the time; therefore, the plan was to exploit the pass defense. Wilson didn’t have the game that he wanted, throwing for 257 yards and no touchdowns.
According to Lynch, he asked the team’s player personnel staff for Wilson’s number to offer support. The staff member promised to look into it and later called Lynch back to see if he got a call from Wilson. Lynch responded that he hadn’t spoken with Wilson, but he had received a phone call with caller ID blocked.
“I don’t know how or why [it was blocked], but I just know I got a call from a blocked number,” Lynch said.
Lynch and Wilson eventually spoke, but the conversation didn’t go the way Lynch expected. He said he tried to let Wilson know he “had his back,” but Wilson’s response surprised Lynch.
“Considering that [we’re] on the same team, going for the same goal and this is how you chose to respond to me,” he recalled. “It was more so like, maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying?”
Later in the podcast, Lynch cited preferential treatment from Carroll to Wilson as a reason for tension within the team. “You’re kind of putting him on a pedestal or outside the box,” Lynch said. “And it’s like he doesn’t have to be held accountable to the same s— that we do.”
Lynch and Wilson were teammates in Seattle for four full seasons, winning Super Bowl XLVIII. Lynch briefly returned to the Seahawks in 2019 for one game.
Wilson was traded to the Broncos in 2022 after 10 years with the Seahawks.