The Russell Wilson Era in Seattle is officially underway.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll announced Sunday night that Wilson will start against the Raiders in the preseason finale and will start again in Week One against the Cardinals. The news was hardly unexpected after Wilson got the start against Kansas City and played like the starting quarterback that the Seahawks have been looking for all summer, but it is still surprising since the third-round pick was seen as the third choice in the competition with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson.
Flynn got $10 million in guaranteed money as a free agent this offseason and Jackson was the incumbent starter, but Wilson wound up with the job. On a conference call, Carroll said it was because he earned the job with his play and his ability to fix things on the fly.
“This is an extraordinary kid. He just kept knocking us out with what he brought,” Caroll said, via the team. “I’ve watched our team respond to him and they’ve taken to his leadership style.”
Jackson’s trade to the Bills still isn’t official, but Carroll said that the team expects it to go through. Flynn will remain as the No. 2, the same job he held behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.