Russell Wilson took the high road when asked about remarks made by Browns head coach Mike Pettine, who said Wilson isn’t an elite quarterback. But Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett didn’t hold back Friday when defending his quarterback.
"Obviously he's not good at picking quarterbacks," Bennett told 710 ESPN Seattle (via ESPN.com). "Maybe he doesn't know what elite is. I think that Russell Wilson is very elite. He's been to two Super Bowls. It's only his fourth year. I don't think a lot of guys can say that."
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Wilson said Thursday he doesn’t focus on the “noise" created outside of the team, and with teammates like Bennett ready to recite Wilson’s resume, Wilson can afford to leave comments like Pettine's alone.
"There's a lot of guys with a lot of passing yards that haven't had any success and don't even go to the playoffs, like Philip Rivers and guys like that. Drew Brees hasn't been to the playoffs in two years," Bennett said. "So Russell Wilson is definitely an elite quarterback, and he can lead a team. ... I think Russell Wilson has done a great job of proving that he is up there at the top tier of players."
Bennett’s reasoning seems much more sound than Pettine’s, considering Wilson is on an absolute tear with 16 touchdown passes in his last four games (all Seattle wins), while Pettine and the 3-10 Browns are floundering with Johnny Manziel under center.