“You can’t go back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting.’’  – Thomas Wolfe

From whence he came, Russell Wilson does go back Monday night.

Regarding the reception he will receive upon return, Wilson took the mile high road and said: “Seattle will always mean the world to me, will always forever be home for me and always be a special place in my heart obviously.”

Yet, the Broncos’ new quarterback also revealed that he believed his former sweetheart Seattle attempted to trade him twice years ago, confirming a Wednesday article by an ESPN writer.

Fictional author George Webber discovered in Wolfe’s brilliant novel that the people back home ostracized him after the depiction of his town.

Despite Wilson being the Seahawks quarterback for 10 seasons, reaching the playoffs eight times, leading the NFL franchise to its first two Super Bowls, winning one championship, and earning the Walter Peyton Man of the Year award for his continuing community charitable contributions, he will not be honored in a hero’s homecoming because of his departure in March and the criticism since.

No matter that a smiling Russell said on a podium outside the Broncos’ headquarters on a sparkling sun-splashed Thursday that “first of all, my experience in Seattle was one of a kind,’’ a significant segment of the Seahawks 12th-Man masses have turned on its ex-No. 1 Man.

Even more so after ESPN published a story Wednesday detailing the years of friction and conflict, the decline of the football franchise in 2021 and, ultimately, the breakup between the Seahawks and Wilson.

Seattle’s loss is Denver’s gain.

The NFL drama kings took advantage of the Seahawks-Broncos trade and the surrounding bizarre circumstances by announcing May 12 that the teams would open the 2022 season exactly four months later in a Sept. 12 ESPN Monday Night game in the Great Northwest. All that’s missing is Drew Lock starting at quarterback for the Seahawks. He will watch with the rest of us in the U.S.

Wilson will be the primetime topic, especially after he offered publicly for the first time Thursday that the Seahawks “tried a couple of times (to trade him) and tried to see what was out there. It’s part of the business and part of being a professional and everything else.’’

Asked Thursday if he was upset – at a period when Wilson was in his late 20s, seemingly untouchable and one of the league’s premier quarterbacks – Wilson said “upset is probably the wrong word. I believe in my talent and who I am. I believe I’m one of the best the world. I don’t worry about anything else other than that.’’

Wilson supposedly indicated late last year he would waive his no-trade clause to join the Broncos, the Saints or the Giants. The Washington Commanders also reportedly proposed giving multiple future draft picks to the Seahawks for Wilson.

According to the wide-ranging story, quoting multiple unnamed sources in the Seattle front office, by Brady Henderson who covers the Seahawks for ESPN, the team negotiated with the Browns in 2018 to exchange Wilson for the draft’s No. 1 overall pick. The deal wasn’t consummated, and Cleveland chose Baker Mayfield. Oddly enough, Mayfield will be playing against his former team Sunday as the Panthers’ starting quarterback.

Henderson also wrote that Seattle general manager John Schneider attended Patrick Mahomes’ pro day and told sources he would draft the quarterback if he lasted late in the first round. The Chiefs traded up to select Mahomes 10th. The next year Schneider flew to the Wyoming pro day to study Josh Allen. The relationship rift between Wilson and the front office and coach Pete Carroll eventually couldn’t be rectified, Henderson sources told Henderson.

Broncos’ then GM John Elway backed off from drafting Allen fifth in the first round of the 2018 draft. In 2016 Elway and the Broncos traded with the Seahawks to move up to 26th in the first round and choose Paxton Lynch. Seattle had no interest in Lynch, who became a busted Bronco.

Denver coach Dan Reeves and Washington coach Joe Gibbs briefly deliberated a 1991 off-season trade that would send Elway to D.C. before Broncos owner Pat Bowlen shut down talks.

Twenty-one years later Elway would sign free agent Peyton Manning, and 31 years later the Broncos would acquire Russell Wilson.

The Broncos’ third will-be a Hall of Fame QB who, now in a happy place, goes back to his past Monday.