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Seahawks Rumors: Russell Wilson 'Going to Make It the Best It Can Be' with Seattle
May 24, 2021
After being involved in trade rumors for much of the offseason, Russell Wilson is reportedly all-in on moving forward with the Seattle Seahawks, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
"Things are indeed in a better place now and for Wilson, as one source put it, It’s basically 'I'm here now, and I'm going to make it the best it can be,'" Breer wrote.
It comes after Wilson's agent listed four teams the quarterback would be willing to join in February, although he stopped short of demanding a trade, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The 32-year-old voiced his concerns with the team's offensive strategy, including the lack of protection.
"I'm frustrated [about] getting hit too much," Wilson told reporters in February.
The quarterback was sacked 47 times last season and has been taken down at least 40 times in each of the last eight years. He remains one of the best in the NFL at his position with seven Pro Bowl selections—including in 2020 after throwing a career-high 40 touchdown passes—but he had serious issues with the offensive philosophy.
With that said, a trade was also extremely unlikely.
NFL teams rarely look to deal franchise quarterbacks coming off great seasons (despite Aaron Rodgers rumors), while a trade would have left Seattle with $39 million in dead cap, per Spotrac. A post-June 1 trade could have spread some of that cap into 2022, but it is still a lot for any team to swallow.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll indicated on the Rich Eisen Show that the team has moved past the initial spat with the quarterback:
The two sides can now refocus on making a deep playoff run after last year's first-round exit.