Marshawn Lynch explains the relationship he didn’t have with former teammate Russell Wilson. What did he say?

While it’s never a guarantee that teammates will necessarily be friends, it’s interesting to note what the running back didn’t say about the quarterback that he once played with, rather than what he did. Then, there’s what he had to say about the coach.

Marshawn Lynch describes strange relationship with Russell Wilson

Never one to shy away from sharing his thoughts, NFL running back Marshawn Lynch recently appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” and what he had to say definitely turned some heads. Speaking about the time he spent with quarterback Russell Wilson, Lynch admitted that the now Denver Broncos signal caller was “just a quarterback” to him which is to say, they didn’t have a close relationship. “I wouldn’t be the right person to speak on their relationship because I didn’t f--k with them,” Lynch said. “... I didn’t f--k with Pete (Carroll), and then, I mean, Russ was just a quarterback for me.”

Interestingly, Lynch also expressed the idea that speaking about Wilson reminded him of the Seahawks’ now infamous loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. Indeed, it was head coach Pete Carroll’s decision to go through the air, which led to Wilson throwing an interception that was caught by the Pats’ cornerback, Malcolm Butler. The Seahawks lost, the fallout was brutal and the rest is history. “I respect Russell as a player and as a teammate. ... Anything that I say is gonna come off as malice or as if I’m a hater. ...I’ll take Russell, and I’ll put him right there at quarterback, and I’ll rock with him, because I have done that,” Lynch added. “But as far as anything else... No, there’s no, you can’t pick up the phone and call ol’ boy or nothing.” While there appears to be no bad blood between the pair, it’s clear they were never friends.

It wasn’t for lack of trying on Marshawn Lynch’s part

One puzzling story that Lynch shared with Sharpe during their chat, was one related to a 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans back in 2013. On the night, Wilson had what can only be considered a subpar game as he threw for 257 yards with no touchdowns, a stat line that was further compounded by the gulf in class between the two teams. Conversely, Lynch registered 155 rushing yards with two TDs. Wanting to support his teammate after a tough night, Lynch explained that he got Wilson’s number from a staff member and called him but got no answer. According to Lynch, Wilson then called him from a blocked number, which he did not answer due to that fact. “I don’t know how or why, but I just know I got a call from a blocked number,” Lynch said. When the pair finally connected, Lynch explained to Wilson that he simply wanted to be there for him in the same way he hoped that Wilson would do for him.

“His response to me was kind like, ‘The f–k?’ So, I told him again like, ‘Nah, bro, I’m here for you, we gonna rock.’ His response was the same,” Lynch said. “Considering that we on the same team, going for the same goal and this is how you chose to respond to me, It was more so like, maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying? ...I thought I was tripping.”

Marshawn Lynch thinks Pete Carroll did not help

While Lynch’s take on Wilson will likely raise a few eyebrows, what he had to say about Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll most definitely begs a question or two. Indeed, Lynch went on to explain that Carroll played a role in Wilson’s behavior as he seemingly gave the quarterback preferential treatment. According to Lynch, Carroll told some of the senior members of the team to come to him and not Wilson if they had any issues with the signal caller, something that understandably bothered several players. “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–t that we do,” Lynch said. “What the f–k is that?”

The relationship Marshawn Lynch had with Pete Carroll wasn’t the best

Known for being a motivational coach, Carroll is one NFL coach whose reputation precedes him and that’s something that Lynch explained he wasn’t exactly on board with. Describing himself as a player who didn’t require that approach to prepare for games, Lynch appeared to indicate that the issue between them was more a clash of philosophies, rather than a personal problem.

“My relationship with Pete was interesting. I like Pete as a coach because he get motherf–kers ready to go. That’s the truth. He’s the same way every day,” Lynch said. “He’s a great motivator in getting motherf–kers ready, but it was just that I didn’t need that. I don’t think he understood where I was coming from. ...That kinda got us to head-butting a little bit for the misunderstanding.” Interestingly, Lynch also explained that he laughed in Carroll’s face in the moments immediately after that fateful Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. As mentioned before, it was Carroll’s decision to go through the air rather than on the ground with Lynch, something the running back believes brought an end to the Seahawk’s dynasty. “Most definitely,” Lynch said. “And they suffering from it still to this day.”