Pete Carroll has no shame in sharing just how desperately he wanted to beat Russell Wilson

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the win over Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos was “really rewarding” for former players.

Entering the 2022 season, the Seattle Seahawks were not expected to have much success. Instead, they were able to pull off the massive upset win over the Denver Broncos, who had the quarterback they traded away in Russell Wilson.

During an appearance on the 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was asked whether the win was “validating.” That is when Carroll said that he “just wanted to win” and that it was “really rewarding” for the former players.

Pete Carroll reveals how badly he wanted to defeat Russell Wilson and Broncos

When asked by Mike Salk “why did it mean so much” for the former players, Carroll responded with “you figure that out.”

Former players like Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin sent out tweets immediately after the game reacting to Seattle’s win over Denver.

This offseason, the Seahawks traded Wilson to the Broncos in exchange for quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and multiple draft picks. Prior to the game, Wilson led the Broncos into Lumen Field, and he was greeted with boos by the Seahawks faithful.

Denver had numerous opportunities to win the game, but Seattle forced fumbles on running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams in back-to-back red zone drives. Then, on Denver’s final drive of the game, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett pulled Wilson from the field on fourth-and-five just past midfield, and instead decided to bring out kicker Brandon McManus to attempt a 64-yard field goal. That decision did not pay off, as the kick was no good, giving Seattle the 17-16 win.

With that, Carroll’s team is in first place in the NFC West, just like everyone predicted after Week 1. In fact, they were the only team in that division to win. The Los Angeles Rams were pummeled by the Buffalo Bills, the Arizona Cardinals got blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs, and the San Francisco 49ers were defeated by the Chicago Bears in soggy Soldier Field.

In case you could not tell in the clip above, the win over Wilson and the Broncos meant a lot to Carroll.