With safety Tyrann Mathieu exiting the NFC West and joining the AFC South, he’ll swap facing the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks twice per year for seeing the Colts, Jaguars, and Titans two times per season.
So which player from the NFC West will Tyrann Mathieu least miss facing?
“Russell Wilson,” Mathieu said without hesitation in a recent interview that was aired earlier today on PFT Live. “No doubt about it. He’s one of the most underrated players in the National Football League. I think if the Seattle Seahawks didn’t have him I don’t think they would be as dominant. He’s definitely one of the best players in the game.”
Mathieu also seems to agree with the notion that the Seahawks currently are reshaping the roster in a way that makes it Russell Wilson’s team.
“I’ve had the chance to play against him maybe 10 times already,” Mathieu said. “He’s been one of the greatest competitors. . . . One of the most comfortable players, poised players I’ve ever played against. He does things that you can’t coach. That’s what makes players special. Obviously, Seattle had a great defense, right? The last five, six years? I think they kind of overshadowed him a little bit. It’s no doubt that the guys that played against Russell Wilson, they know what kind of player he is.”
It’s likely no coincidence that Seattle’s dramatic roster overhaul includes guys who may not have been all in with the idea that it’s Wilson’s team. From the retirement of Marshawn Lynch to the trade of Michael Bennett to the release of Richard Sherman to the looming trade (possibly) of Earl Thomas, the Seahawks are choosing Wilson, and they’ll be rebuilding the roster around him with guys who will walk through the door realizing that it’s Wilson’s team, and that the team will go as far moving forward as Wilson can take them.