Russell Wilson hit back at the statement that he initiated a trade to Denver during his first news conference with the Broncos. (1:00)
John Elway looked on in a crowded auditorium as Russell Wilson was formally introduced as the Denver Broncos newest quarterback. Wilson said he hopes to get done with his new teammates in a new city over the next decade.
Wilson wants to play 10 or 12 more years and hopefully win three, four more Super Bowls. I came here to finish my career here and hopefully win the title of champion. Do it multiple times.
Wilson's no-trade clause was removed last week to complete the deal between the Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. In one of the biggest trades in league history, the Broncos sent two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick along with quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris, and a fourth-round pick to the Seattle
With the start of the new league year, the deal became official.
Wilson posed for photos with his family and spoke about why he thinks the Broncos are the right fit for him in the same room where Manning was formally introduced.
When Seattle defeated Manning and the Broncos 43-8 in the Super Bowl, it was the ninth Pro Bowler to start that game.
Manning was one of the people Wilson consulted before waiving his no-trade clause. After 14 seasons with the Colts, Manning was signed by the Broncos in free agency.
Manning has talked about the challenges and excitement of joining a new team after a successful run. The Broncos won 50 regular-season games and four AFC West titles, went to two Super Bowls and won Super Bowl 50 in Manning's four years with the team.
Wilson said that the biggest thing he told him was that this is a winning organization. He said he loved it here and still lives here today.
A long list of assistant coaches and other staff members as well as fans in Seattle were thanked by Wilson. He said the trade was a mutual decision for him and the team.
Wilson was excited about coming to a winning organization with so much tradition and excellence. I wanted to make sure it was a good fit for me. When I met with George and Nathaniel, I was convinced that this could work for a long time.
The statement from Allen, the team's defacto owner, was included in the announcement of the Wilson trade. All expressed their appreciation for Wilson's contributions in Seattle while also mentioning his desire to play somewhere else.
While Russell made it clear he wanted this change, he made Seattle proud and we are grateful for his decade of leadership on and off the field. I trust our leadership to take us into the future and wish Russell the best.
Paton said the trade talks had been going on for weeks and that Wilson was the team's top target in the off-season.
At the NFL scouting combine a week before the Broncos and Seattle came to a trade agreement, PeteCarroll said he had no intention of moving on from Wilson. When the Seahawks got a better offer for Wilson, that changed.
Asked if he and Wilson made it through the tension between the two, Carroll said he and the quarterback worked hard at it. We made it through it, and I love Russ. He is like one of my own. We went through a lot. It brought us to the point where we could discuss a possible trade.
They traded Wilson because of the opportunity that arose, not because they didn't believe they could repair the relationship.
Schneider thought that Wilson wouldn't sign another long-term deal in Seattle. Wilson would have been in line for an extension if he had two more years left on his contract.
He did great things for us here in Seattle. He was a good player for us. His second chance, look what he will do with it. He is going to fly. He is going to do great things. We support him and wish him well.
Paton said that he began to let others in the Broncos organization in on what had largely been one-on-one discussions with Schneider for weeks about the potential trade. Paton asked how he would feel if the Broncos were able to get Wilson.
Paton said he didn't think he said yes.
He joked that Paton told him to watch Wilson's game video to make sure he wanted the trade to happen.
Paton said that he wanted him to watch the tape.
Brady Henderson contributed to the report.
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