Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had some struggles in 2016 while he played through various nagging injuries. In the end, he gritted through them and started all 16 games of the season, leading his team to the divisional round of the playoffs.
For this, wide receiver Doug Baldwin commended Wilson’s efforts.
“To his credit, he battled his way back to get back on the football field,” Baldwin said per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “He battled through his own mental process to deal with the pain. He gained a lot of respect in our locker room because of it.”
Wilson was indeed tough to complete the entire season. He even passed for a career-best 4,219 yards. Although the 2016 season also saw Wilson rush for just 259 yards, which marked an all-time low in his career. His touchdowns decreased as well — 21 in 2016 from 34 in 2015 — and he threw three more interceptions on the year.
Baldwin’s support of Wilson could not be better timed.
There has been some rumored discord going on in the Seahawks’ locker room. Discord that reportedly surrounds Wilson, the offense offense and alleged comments that came from cornerback Richard Sherman.
Through it all, Baldwin has his quarterback’s back.
As for the Super Bowl champion receiver, he tallied 125 receptions for 1,128 yards and seven touchdowns despite Wilson’s limitations.
Fast forward to now and Baldwin is more looking to what lies ahead for the Seahawks in 2017.
“I’m looking forward this upcoming season [to] running the ball more. And I know, counterintuitive for a receiver, but the truth of the matter is that we have a philosophy in Seattle where if you run the ball and you control the clock and you play stout defense, you’re going to give yourself an opportunity to be successful. And we’ve seen that.”
That’s a positive outlook here from Baldwin.
The Seahawks will look to keep competitive in a division they handily won with a 10-5-1 record last season. Hopefully this time around, Wilson stays healthy. Given the team’s offensive line woes, however, we won’t hold our breath.