NEWSLETTER
Two weeks ago, the (bizarrely) escalating unrest between the Seattle Seahawks and franchise quarterback Russell Wilson had reached the point where one report pegged the situation as “not sustainable.” It was a jarring thing to contemplate, especially in an offseason already so rife with so much significant quarterback movement, but we’ve been cautious to think about there ACTUALLY being a separation in the future. I mean, we’re talking about an MVP-caliber quarterback who is only 32, and is coming off arguably the best season of his career.
But there may be some substance here, as laid out in great detail this morning by Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mike Sando, and Jayson Jenks here at The Athletic.
The origins of the rift are explored, including Wilson’s desire to control more of the offense – and feeling like that desire has been rebuked – and his efforts to make suggestions that were apparently ignored. Moreover, Wilson has started speaking publicly about how many sacks he takes, how it impacts his longevity, and how it needs to be addressed if he’s going to be able to play another 10+ years. (Some sources tell The Athletic that it’s all just a PR move to save face after a rough half-season stretch for Wilson, though, for what it’s worth.)
In any case, the real eye-popper from the report is this:
“Wilson and Carroll have won at least nine games in each of nine seasons together. They have made the playoffs every season but one, won a Super Bowl and lost another. But the Seahawks haven’t reached the NFC Championship game since 2014, and Wilson’s frustration has escalated to the point that his camp has broached potential trade destinations with the Seahawks. According to sources, those teams include ones mentioned in La Canfora’s column the day of the Super Bowl: the Dolphins, Jets, Saints and Raiders. Some people around the league think a trade could happen, if not this offseason then sometime in the near future.”
Wilson and his camp have actually brought up trade destinations to the Seahawks, which certainly seems like an entirely different level of seriousness than we were contemplating previously.
Before the Seahawks' Thursday night game against the Cardinals, Russell Wilson met with coaches to discuss how to fix the offense.
His suggestions were dismissed.
Wilson stormed out of the room. https://t.co/OVuV0s1MmD
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 25, 2021
If Wilson is truly unhappy and wants to be moved, then you’ve gotta believe a dozen or more teams would happily reach out. Wilson is under contract for three more years at an AAV of about $36 million, so he’s not exactly cheap, but the Bears would be among a number of teams that wouldn’t bat an eye at trying to make the fit work.
That said, if Wilson winds up dictating his own move from here – which he can, as one of only eight players in the league with a no-trade clause – it probably doesn’t much matter if the Bears want him. As we’ve seen with the Deshaun Watson situation, even though it’s a potential trade, really you have to be courting the player. And it’s pretty difficult to see Wilson desperately wanting to leave Seattle for Chicago right now. (But, hey, can’t hurt to try, right?)
Nevertheless, this still merits a close watch, because the QB carousel fallout could be significant in so many ways.
In the meantime, read the piece at The Athletic for the full nitty gritty and history between Wilson and the Seahawks.
