Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson would rather be practicing for the Super Bowl than making the rounds with the media this week.
But the Seahawks failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and Wilson is now in Minneapolis repping various companies and getting his time in front of the camera and microphone.
Even Wilson, normally reserved in his press conferences, hasn’t been able to artfully dodge the question of who he thinks will win this year’s big game.
Wilson took center stage live Friday morning on ABC’s Good Morning America and stood steadfast in his prediction.
“Yeah, it gonna be a good game,” Wilson said. “I think first of all when you think about the Eagles – we were able to play them this year – they’re a really good team. They’ve got a great defense with a great rush. So they’re a really good football team.”
But Wilson continued: “I can’t bet against Tom Brady. I like winning and there’s no better winner than Tom Brady.”
Wilson has been to two Super Bowls himself during his short career, winning his first against the Broncos and losing his second against Brady and his Patriots. He was asked about how quarterbacks prepare for these types of huge matchups on the national stage.
“It’s a tough, tough task,” Wilson explained. “It’s a lot of preparation, but these guys are ready for it. I know Nick Foles – we’re in the same class together – he works really hard. He’ll be prepared. And then obviously Tom Brady, he’s the greatest champion in our game, and he’s always prepared.
“It’s a tough challenge though, one of the biggest things is ignoring the distractions and just focusing on football.”
So while Wilson called Brady the “greatest champion in our game,” he didn’t actually call him the GOAT. Semantics or is the greatest yet to come?
The Super Bowl kicks off this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
