There Is No 'I' in Uneasy Truce

"Are you aware of how you sound sometimes?" they said.

He didn't have a clue.

Humbled, he began seeking out some of the Seahawks' more significant players during that summer's training camp. He walked up to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and floored his teammate by saying, "I think I've been a jerk to you."

Then he said, "I got stabbed in the back," and it seemed all the good feelings went away.

It's hard to say what anyone really thinks anymore. The coaches, in trying to show how Alexander has matured, point out that in the 2004 election for playoff team captains, Alexander received one vote -- his own. This year, they point out, he was elected as the offensive representative at the coin toss.

But ask them if they think this is a change, that Alexander sees the world the way they do, and there is a pause.

"I don't know," two of them said.

Negotiations have not started on a new deal. It was clear in the early-season exchange of offers that team and player were far apart, perhaps by $6 million in the guaranteed bonus. Alexander has said he would love to stay in Seattle, and it would seem that despite any mistrust from the past, it might be the best situation for him. He led the league in rushing with 1,880 yards in Holmgren's system. It's clear Holmgren adjusted to accommodate Alexander, giving him the most carries -- 370 -- of his career.

Thursday Holmgren was asked about his relationship with Alexander. "I think a lot of that was overblown," he said of the controversies.

This is something he has said all season as the uneasy peace between running back and coach seemed to solidify just a little.

The answer to how much those words have been left dangling in the locker room will come at season's end. That's when it will become apparent if the Seahawks and their best player still want each other.