Well after the big Seahawks trade with Denver, Tyler Lockett, Russell Wilson remain tight
Russell Wilson is long gone from Seattle — but not from Tyler Lockett.
The Seahawks’ veteran wide receiver was Wilson’s successor as offensive team captain last season after Seattle traded the quarterback to Denver in March 2022.
In the latest example of professional athletes being real people off the field, regardless of the cold business within their sports or bitterness among fans: Lockett has remained close with Wilson.
Friends, far beyond now-ex-teammates.
Lockett had Wilson at his wedding two weeks ago in Dallas. It was the return favor of where Lockett had been for Wilson seven summers earlier.
“It was great just to have Russ there, man,” Lockett, 30, said Friday, following the third practice day of Seahawks training camp — and the first practice of Wilson’s second training camp with the Broncos in Colorado.
“Russ invited me after my rookie year to his wedding out there in Liverpool (at the 19th Century Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, United Kingdom, in July 2016). So it was pretty cool to go out there and see him and Ciara get married.
“We’ve been brothers this whole, entire time. He’s been like my big brother, giving me advice, helping me along the way. He’s there for me if I ever need anything.
“So it was really cool for him to be able to come out there, just to support me and Lauren (the former Lauren Jackson).”
Wilson stayed traditional at Lockett’s wedding. He wore a classic, black tuxedo with white shirt and black bow tie.
Lockett’s Seahawks teammate DK Metcalf was there also in a black tuxedo — over black shorts.
Wilson and Metcalf offset Lockett’s white tuxedo jacket with black bow ties, pants and trim. Bobby Wagner, Geno Smith, Quandre Diggs, Bruce Irvin, K.J. Wright, Tre Brown, Cade Johnson, Cody Thompson and Penny Hart were among the other current and former Seahawks teammates who also attended Lockett’s wedding in Dallas two weekends ago.
No, Lockett wasn’t about to go tuxedo-over-shorts as Metcalf did.
“Oh, no, DK has more of a style than me,” Locket said.
“I think Lauren would have gotten so upset with me if I did anything but wear a white-and-black tux.”
Sixteen months after the trade, most of the Pacific Northwest still seethes at Wilson for orchestrating his way out of Seattle. Seahawks fans celebrated every Broncos loss (they went 5-12 last season to give Seattle the fifth pick in this year’s draft, cornerback Devon Witherspoon) and Wilson failure last season.
But Lockett remains close, loyal and appreciative of the quarterback, four years older, who brought him up in the NFL and with the Seahawks from 2015 until last year.
Wilson called Lockett “king” in trumpeting his wedding and marriage on his social-media accounts this month.
“We still talk to this day,” Lockett said of Wilson. “We encourage one another.
“If he ever needs anything, he knows he can call me. And vice versa.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2023 at 4:30 PM.
