Familiarity breeds contempt between rivals.
It can also lead to begrudging respect.
Arik Armstead has played against Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson more than any other signal-caller in his NFL career. The 49ers defensive end, unsurprisingly, named Wilson as the best player he has played against in his five seasons with San Francisco.
"Russell Wilson is always tough to play against, of course,” Armstead told NBC Sports’ Chris Simms on the “Chris Simms Unbuttoned” podcast. “I've had plenty of battles (with him). So I would say consistently he's probably the toughest because we've played against him so much.