Russell Wilson’s future with the Seattle Seahawks is currently less than certain, as the quarterback listed four franchises where he would like to end if he was negotiated with the team he spent his entire career with – although it is important to note he did not officially require a replacement. Among those teams is the New Orleans Saints, a city where the mayor has already done her part to try to persuade the Super Bowl winning quarterback to come to the Big Easy with Drew Brees’ retirement forecast.
In a video posted on Saturday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell started her presentation with a quick spin of a Saints-style umbrella to the sound of “Level Up” by Ciara, who is Wilson’s wife, and then proclaimed that the city would be a perfect city not only for footballing reasons, but also for family.
The proposal itself naturally included the Super Bowl aspirations for Wilson and a promise of presence on the main stage at the Essence Festival – the country’s largest black culture and music event – for Ciara.
What’s good for Cantrell is the lack of awkwardness in making such a shot, especially for a quarterback at the same conference as the city team. The last time the Seahawks faced the Saints in the postseason was on January 11, 2014 in the Divisional Round en route to the first Seattle Super Bowl title. That was just two years after Cantrell’s term as councilor, and four years before she became mayor. In fact, it was the only time the two teams met in the playoffs during his time as the city’s elected official.
With a quarterback as talented as Wilson, it should come as no surprise that this is not the only recruiting effort made so far – although it is the first major for a notable government official. Bears players have also tried to catch Wilson’s eye since they discovered that Chicago was one of the quarterback’s favorite destinations.