Drew Lock respects, defers to Russell Wilson’s legacy, wants to craft own Seahawks story
For Drew Lock, 3 has always been the magic number.
He wore jersey number 3 while he was starring as a passer at Lee’s Summit High School on the southeastern edge of the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area. He wore 3 while as a wowing quarterback for his home-state University of Missouri, too. When Denver made him a second-round choice in the 2019 NFL draft, Lock went 4-1 as a rookie starter for the Broncos ... wearing, yes, number 3.
But, upon arriving in Seattle last week in the Seahawks’ franchise-shaking trade of Russell Wilson to Denver for Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive tackle Shelby Harris and five draft picks, Lock ditched 3.
He’ll be number 2 for the Seahawks as he seeks to become their first starting quarterback not named Wilson in 11 years.
Why?
“As long as football goes on, Russell Wilson will be very special to this place, very special to Seattle,” the 25-year-old Lock said on a Zoom call Monday morning from Seahawks headquarters in Renton. “And I know what it takes to, kind of, build a legacy. You know, you wouldn’t go wear 18 in Indianapolis (the number Hall of Famer Peyton Manning wore for the Colts), you wouldn’t go wear 12 in Green Bay (wear Aaron Rodgers has made that number immortal for the Packers).
“It’s a sign of respect for him from me,” Lock said of Wilson. “But also, at the same time, I want to write my own story here.
“I want to,” he shrugged, “see what 2 does for us. I want to make that me.
“You know, I don’t want to fight against Russell. He’s done so many great things for this place and so many great things for the city of Seattle and the state of Washington that I want 2 to be remembered as Drew Lock, not 3 was Russell and Drew.
“I want 2 to be Drew.
“I have the utmost respect for him, and that was kind of a move in showing that.”
So, yes, Lock’s already got an understanding of what he’s getting into.
About 30 minutes after news broke Monday the Indianapolis Colts acquired 2016 NFL most valuable player Matt Ryan from Atlanta (for a third-round draft choice), Lock introduced himself to Seattle via Zoom on Monday. He said he is “really excited for a fresh start” in the NFL, that “just a lot of good can come from (this).
“I’m going to work harder than anybody in this building … to gain their trust,” Lock said.
He is 8-13 as a starter in the league, with 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over parts of the last three seasons in Denver. Those years included a thumb injury that ruined his 4-1 start as a rookie, a change in offensive coordinators following his first season and the arrival of veteran Teddy Bridgewater to take his job last year with the Broncos.
“I will never make excuses for my play. I could have played a lot better in the seasons that I was I was playing there,” Lock said.
“I did some good things, but there’s a lot of things I could have done a lot better.”
Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider said last week the Seahawks really liked Lock in that 2019 draft. They liked he is 6 feet 4 with a huge throwing arm — and with athleticism they seek in every position, particularly quarterback. Lock also returned kickoffs at times in high school. He averaged 12.6 points per game as a freshman on the Lee’s Summit High basketball team. He was on “watch lists” for basketball in the 2015 recruiting class, attracting some college hoops scholarship interests.
But those 2019 Seahawks had only two weeks earlier re-signed Wilson to what was then the richest contract in NFL history, $140 million. So they didn’t draft Lock.
Now, Lock and Jacob Eason, Seattle’s third quarterback last season and former Washington Huskies passer, are the only QBs on the Seahawks’ roster for 2022.
Since they traded Wilson and got Lock, Carroll and Schneider have looked into what it would take to possibly trade with Houston for Deshaun Watson; he went to Cleveland. Seattle knew Atlanta was shopping Ryan, but his cost was too high. Carroll and Schneider know the Browns are now trying to deal Baker Mayfield. The former number-one overall pick’s trade cost is going to be low, given he wants out and is dead-ended in Cleveland behind Watson plus what the Colts just sent the Falcons for Ryan.
Carroll said this month at the league’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis he would like to re-sign veteran Geno Smith. Wilson’s backup the last two seasons and a former starter for the New York Jets remained an unsigned free agent Monday.
The Seahawks own the ninth-overall choice in next month’s draft and three of the first 71 picks thanks to Denver and the Wilson trade. So drafting a quarterback for one of the only times in Carroll’s and Schneider’s 12 years running the franchise is a possibility for Seattle.
For now, as Monday’s public introduction to the city and the team’s fans hinted, the Seahawks are preparing to roll with Lock as their quarterback for 2022.
Lock said he’s excited to begin working soon with new teammates DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, whom he said are two of the bigger name wide receivers in the sport. Lock said Metcalf called him while the quarterback was in the security line at Denver’s airport the day he flew to Seattle to become a Seahawk.
“Nothing has been promised — as I would want,” Lock said.
Carroll intends for the Seahawks’ 2022 offense — one without Wilson — to be more centered on running the ball. That’s why Seattle on Sunday agreed to re-sign running back Rashaad Penny for one year and $5.75 million.
Carroll has said the team expects Chris Carson to return by the start of next season from neck surgery that ended his 2021 season after just four games.
Carson with Penny and Lock, and without Wilson. What does Penny expect that to look and play like for the Seahawks this year?
“Obviously that was a big piece. It’s like him leaving a legacy. You can’t really get anybody like him again,” Penny said Monday of Wilson, with whom he’s played since Seattle made the running back a first-round pick in 2018.
“I’m thankful we got Drew Lock … It’s just a new legacy that’s starting in Seattle.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 1:01 PM.
