SEATTLE, Wash. — Weeks of swirling rumors regarding Seattle Seahawks franchise quarterback Russell Wilson moving on from the organization have never aligned with the directive of organizational leaders. Wilson’s camp named multiple landing spots for the future Hall of Famer if the team is unable to build a competitive roster around the face of their franchise.
Recent reporting from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport suggests the Seahawks rejected the Chicago Bears, who went all-in with draft assets and players. He made the following statement during an appearance on Good Morning Football.
“The Bears certainly made a big offer — multiple first-round picks,” Rapoport said. “The Seahawks slept on it. They discussed it. Yesterday, they decided, specifically coach Pete Carroll, 70 years old, does not want to rebuild, decided we are not trading Russell Wilson to the Bears.”
Longtime sports radio host and sportscaster Dan Patrick is hearing similar reports. During his radio show, Patrick said that his sources gave him an idea of what the Bears offer looked like. Though he didn’t have specific names, the Seahawks were reportedly offered three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two starting-caliber players.
Now that the Bears have exhausted their resources, they turned to a new direction: Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, who most recently played as the fill-in starter for Dak Prescott on the Dallas Cowboys.
The decision to reject the trade offer from Chicago affirms the Seahawks’ commitment to their star quarterback. Offers like that don’t come around often and the Bears are clearly hungry to trade for a franchise leader under center. Though it’s unclear which starting-caliber players Chicago was offering for Wilson, there’s no chance it’s anyone as good as him. Wilson was the sixth-best player in the NFL last season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF) rankings.
For Wilson, trade reports and media tours come off as an attempt to rattle front office leaders into going all-in. At 32-years-old, Wilson is tired of being hunted by pass rushers at the rate he has been during the course of his career. No quarterback has been sacked more than Wilson since 2017 and he’s currently on pace to be sacked more than any quarterback in league history.
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A deteriorating offensive line and a lack of proactivity from the Seahawks front office forced their star quarterback’s hand. However, we’re in an era when pro athletes of Wilson’s caliber know their worth and feel empowered to challenge the decision-makers of their franchise. In Houston, franchise-caliber QB Deshaun Watson is forcefully making his way out of a poor situation to better his career and compete for a Super Bowl.
To make matters worse, Seattle’s competition is getting tougher. A healthy and reinforced 49ers team is prepared to compete for the division once more, Arizona is re-loading with a rising star under center in Kyler Murray and the Rams upgraded their QB situation by trading for Matthew Stafford. Instead of going all-in to compete, the Seahawks are remaining quiet as two of their top defenders, edge rusher Carlos Dunlap and cornerback Shaquill Griffin, leave the team.
If the Seahawks don’t want to trade Wilson, they need to appeal to his sensibilities and protect their franchise quarterback. Otherwise, they risk shortening his NFL playing career due to injuries and physical fatigue from constantly evading sacks as his pocket collapses.
Head coach Pete Carroll doesn’t want to rebuild? Then it’s time to go all-in and fight to regain the top of the NFC West next season.
