There was a point this offseason where I felt the Russell Wilson trade chatter could end by way of a surprising trade. Especially with all of the early offseason quarterback movement.
But when that didn’t happen, I was under the assumption a statement was forthcoming from (1) Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll, (2) GM John Schneider, or (3) Wilson, himself. None of those things came about. Instead, the one slamming the door on this journey is a defensive lineman Seattle cut at the beginning of March, only to re-sign later that month.
No, seriously:
Dunlap clarified this was before he re-signed. Talked to Wilson and Wilson assured him he would be with Seahawks in 2021 and closed with a "Go Hawks.''
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) April 6, 2021
The Seahawks cut Carlos Dunlap on March 8 in a move that saved the team $14 million in cap space. Twenty-two days later, Dunlap re-joined team on a two-year deal. But not before he says he received re-assurances that quarterback Russell Wilson wasn’t going anywhere. Smart move on Dunlap’s part. I’d hate to sign somewhere, only to learn a team’s best player is on his way out the door.
That Dunlap talked to Wilson and forwarded the message of the quarterback sticking with Seattle is fairly solid confirmation. It’s not iron-clad. But it’s enough for me to pass along, especially in the wake of reports that Chicago wasn’t giving up on a Wilson trade just yet, and that rumors were still circulating about his availability.
Look, I’d love to be wrong about this. And next year, if things fall apart in Seattle, maybe we’ll see renewed vigor on the Wilson trade front. But for now, it feels like that door is closing. Maybe there’s a window open somewhere else. But at this point, I think the Bears are better off moving on.