The Seattle Seahawks of the early 2010s were nearly unbeatable. They won one Super Bowl and really should have won two. They succeeded thanks to a strong defense and a gritty running game, but also because of young dual-threat QB Russell Wilson. Other than Richard Sherman, the two biggest stars on those teams were Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.
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Although Wilson gave Lynch the ball for all his carries and the RB blocked for the QB on many dropbacks, the pair famously didn’t get along. Wilson appeared much more clean-cut and by the book, while Lynch seemed more like a go-with-the-flow type of guy.
When Lynch had D.K. Metcalf on his podcast, the wideout first explained what he loves about his old Seattle QB, Geno Smith. The characteristics Metcalf loved—accountability and humility—elicited a fascinating reaction from Lynch. He just said a few words but his meaning was abundantly clear.
“A Quarterback taking accountability!?”
To which Robinson said,” Why is that such a shocker thing? A quarterback taking responsibility?” He never mentioned the QB by name, but Lynch’s feigned shock at Metcalf calling a QB accountable and humble was no doubt a shot at Wilson, as he later seemingly confirmed.
Lynch was also jokingly journaling while Metcalf broke down all of the positives about Geno Smith. One could infer from this that the former RB was saying he’d never played with a quarterback who had those traits and so had to write this stuff down. ‘Beast Mode’ even liked one of the comments on the video, that suggested that the whole segment was a shot at Wilson. If that’s not confirmation, what is?
This wouldn’t be the first time that Lynch indicated his dislike for Wilson. In 2023, Lynch opened up about his relationship with Wilson and the supposed issues the pair had. Many teammates would call one another “brother”, but Lynch said that Wilson was “just a quarterback for me”. The two never had a relationship off the field.
Why the animosity between Wilson and Lynch?
While many believe Lynch’s issues with Wilson stem from the interception the latter threw that lost the Seahawks the Super Bowl in 2014, Lynch said the issues began before that.
According to Lynch, head coach Pete Carroll gave Wilson preferential treatment and revealed that Wilson responded strangely when the RB tried to offer him his support.
“I’ll take Russ and I’ll put him at quarterback and I’ll rock with him because I’ve done that… Can’t pick up the phone or call old boy or nothing… You’re kind of putting him on a pedestal or outside the box. And it’s like he doesn’t have to be held accountable to the same s— that we do.”
At one point, Lynch tried to get Wilson’s number from a Seahawks staffer, who said they’d look into it. Later, Lynch got a call from a blocked number, apparently Wilson’s. Once they finally got on the call, it didn’t go the way Lynch expected, which contributed to the frostiness of their relationship.
Now, Marshawn Lynch is enjoying retired life while Russell Wilson continues his NFL journey. The quarterback is likely to be playing for his fourth team in five years in 2025, as he recently took visits with the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants.
