Pete Carroll: His talks with Russell Wilson do not match rumors of the QB leaving Seahawks

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Pete Carroll’s been ignoring and dismissing them for almost a full year now.

To the Seahawks’ coach and top football authority, the incessant rumors Russell Wilson might be leaving Seattle haven’t been worth his time or breath to respond.

Sunday brought the latest — and assuredly not last — national report the Seahawks’ win over Detroit in the final home game of the season “could potentially be the last time Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson work together at Lumen Field, sources told ESPN.”

Let’s set aside the fact you or I “could” win the lottery tomorrow.

Monday morning, Carroll was on his weekly day-after-game radio show with KIRO-AM easily shooting down that report on top of other rumors Wilson is headed out of Seattle.

“I know what’s going on,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN Seattle.

Monday afternoon on a conference call with Seattle media members, Carroll was asked by Michael Shawn Dugar of The Athletic: “Is part of your ability to do that stuff and not care about it because the conversations you have with Russ behind the scenes are different than what the rumors and reports are outside the building?”

Carroll gave a direct answer.

“The kind of conversations we have behind the scenes are not in line with the rumors,” Carroll said.

The coach nodded his head affirmatively and chuckled.

“OK? They’re not at all,” Carroll said.

“We’ve been talking, we’ve been together and connected throughout this whole, this whole season. And that’s why it’s easy to dismiss those at this time.”

Carroll also was asked when these rumors about Wilson potentially leaving Seattle “reach his desk, how do you react to that?”

The coach laughed, then said on the radio: “They don’t reach my desk. And I don’t mess with them. I don’t have to, you know.”

“I know what’s going on and I don’t need to follow what the agenda that somebody has out there to try and create and stir stuff up and all that.

“We’ll go about our offseason when the time comes. But that stuff, really, that doesn’t affect me.”

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, right, watches Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, left, warmup on the field prior to the start of the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, right, watches Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, left, warmup on the field prior to the start of the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Whether he intended to or not, Wilson added some to this will-he-leave talk Thursday.

The 33-year-old QB said on an online Zoom call with Seattle reporters his goal was to win three more Super Bowls. He then was asked if he believed he will be able to do that while with the Seahawks, given the direction of the franchise amid this 6-10 season.

“I hope so. Obviously, we can’t do it right now not being in the playoffs right now,” Wilson said, with Seattle missing the postseason for just the second time in 10 years.

“For me, I know you guys asked Bobby (Wagner last Wednesday) about, ‘Could this be your last game?’ and this and that, and all that.

“I know for me, personally, I hope it’s not my last game (in Seattle). But at the same time, I know it won’t be my last game in the NFL.”

Asked Sunday after he completed 20 of 29 passes with four touchdowns in a blowout win over the Lions about those last comments, Wilson said: “Listen, I think for me my mission today was to be able to win today. Just win the journey.

“And so you can have any thoughts you want. But I’m grateful. You can’t (put me) in a bad mood. I’m full of joy. I’m full of gratefulness. I’m full of just being blessed, man.

“So I’m not going to waver off of that.”

This season is the first one in his career he’s missed games. He injured the middle finger on his throwing hand in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams Oct. 7. He had surgery the next day and missed three games.

He returned to practice four weeks following surgery, about half the time his surgeon told him he might miss.

The Seahawks are 3-5 since his return. They were 2-2 before he got hurt.