AP

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson denies that he and Percy Harvin had a rift.

Wilson said that Harvin, who was traded from the Seahawks to the Jets last week, is a lot like him. And Wilson said he thinks reporters were trying to make a big deal out of Harvin supposedly clashing with teammates.

“Percy and I never had differences,” Wilson said. “He’s a guy that, you know, we had a lot of similarities, probably, if anything. You know, guys that want to compete at the highest level, want to win every single time you step on the field. Want the ball in our hands, to make the big play and everything. So I’m not sure why the media tries to blow everything out of proportion, it’s part of it, I guess. You have to deal with it. But you also ignore it, too. Like I always tell you guys, ignore the noise. You know, Percy’s a Virginia guy and I wish nothing but the best for him.”

Wilson may claim this is a media creation, but that’s awfully hard to believe, given all the stories that have come out of Seattle in the six days since Harvin was traded. There’s just too much smoke to believe there isn’t any fire.

But Wilson has a well-crafted image as a good guy, and he’s saying all the right things to preserve that image.