Inside Russell Wilson's disastrous first season with the Broncos

Rusell Wilson's first season with the Denver Broncos was derailed by a star player who wielded too much influence over the team, according to a recent report by The Athletic.

Driving the news: Wilson's splashy arrival in Denver came after an awkward exit from the Seattle Seahawks.

Wilson allegedly tried to get Seattle head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider fired during his last year with the team, as Wilson reportedly blamed them for the team's regression.

• Wilson supposedly favored former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to replace Carroll — with whom Wilson won a Super Bowl. The Broncos hired Payton as their head coach last month.

The other side: Wilson denied the accusation he tried to oust Carroll and Schneider, tweeting, "I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win."

• An attorney representing Wilson sent a letter to the Athletic calling the firing claims "entirely fabricated."

Zoom in: The more than 15 Broncos players, coaches and staffers whom the Athletic spoke to — including some granted anonymity — said the team last season was directionless, and its play-caller simply failed to deliver on his hype.

• Wilson has his own office at the team's facilities, something the Athletic characterized as a "rare perk" that added to team tension since it was located on the same floor as coaches and executives.

Read more on the Athletic