L.A. Times has fascinating behind the scenes look at Russell Wilson trade
Mar 20, 2022, 11:22 AM
So, how did one of the biggest trades in NFL history go down?
The Los Angeles Times has those answers.
When the Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks it shocked the NFL. Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times did some digging on how it all happened, and wrote an excellent article with all the details.
Some of the highlights:
– Broncos GM George Paton hadn’t talked to the Packers about Aaron Rodgers since the spring of 2021. He had zeroed in on Wilson.
– The conversations with the Seahawks started at the Senior Bowl.
– Those chats continued in Indy, where Paton and Seahawks GM John Schneider met four nights in a row at Loughmillers.
– Wilson was texting with Peyton Manning to get intel on the Broncos organization and the city of Denver.
– Paton told his siblings the morning of the trade by sending them a photo of Wilson photoshopped into a Broncos uniform.
– Most of the people in the Broncos organization learned the news via Twitter, and team headquarters erupted in hoots, hollers and high-fives when the word spread. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett cranked up the 2004 hit song “One, Two Step” by Wilson’s Grammy-winning wife, Ciara, that echoed through the building.
– The Broncos were originally going to St. Barts to seal the deal with Wilson, but international travel on short notice was too complicated.
– The team used the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse to meet with Wilson, avoiding the main facility. Hall of Famer Steve Atwater caught wind of Wilson’s presence and asked to say hello.
– Everyone dined that night at Elway’s downtown. Paton and Wilson gave toasts.
– The trade went down on March 8. That’s the birthday of Paton’s father, who passed away in November. “Happy birthday, Tom Paton,” George’s wife, Barb, wrote in a group text to the family. “We got you a quarterback.”
It’s a really cool look at how everything happened and is worth checking out. To give the full story a read, click here.
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