Getty Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Speculation has been flying and Russell Wilson has caught wind. The prospect of the eight-time Pro Bowler jettisoning the only team he’s ever known over his prolific NFL career has long been on the minds of Seahawks fans and quarterback-needy teams alike.
A report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz on December 8 helped fuel further speculation, giving hope to a handful of teams — including the New York Giants — that Wilson could potentially suit up for them in 2022. Schultz named the G-Men, alongside the Denver Broncos and the New Orleans Saints, as the three teams that Wilson would “strongly consider” waiving his no-trade clause for this offseason.
The following day, Wilson addressed the rumblings during his Thursday press conference, calling any report of him waiving his no-trade clause a “non-story.”
Wilson: ‘My Focus is Only Right Now’
“That’s not in my head right now at all,” Wilson said via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “I didn’t say that. I’m focused on what we’re doing here. Obviously, I love Seattle. This is a place I’ve loved every day, every moment.”
Wilson was then quickly posed a follow-up question on whether this indicates he intends to play out the remaining two years of his contract in Seattle, which runs through 2023.
“That’s my hope,” Wilson responded. “My hope’s not just to fulfill it. Hopefully I get to play here for 20 years of my career. WIll that happen? I don’t know. That’s my prayer, that’s my hope. That stuff’s in the future, that stuff’s down the road. I think my mission, my focus is only on right now.”
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Does a Seahawks Rebuild Mean No Russ?
We’ll give Wilson the benefit of the doubt that there is at least some truth to his comments. Chances are there is at least a piece of him that enjoys the thought of closing out his career where it all started. However, as we dive into the final month of the regular season, the Seahawks remain in the basement of the NFC West with no sign of climbing out.
Staring up at two arguably elite teams in the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams and another team in the San Francisco 49ers that remains a pesty, mostly well-rounded unit, Seattle could be in for an overhaul this season in hopes of making up some ground in the division. Whether that means changes to the quarterback position is a question that I’m sure will be shoved down our throats well into the summer.
“Will Pete Carroll and Co. be eager to reset the QB spot? Not necessarily. But a rebuild could certainly be on the way, and Russ had no qualms about teasing a relocation even before Seattle tumbled to the bottom of the NFC West,” wrote Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. “Maybe the price tag is slightly lower after his 2021 finger surgery, but he’s still just 33 with plans to play another decade. Seattle would absorb a $26M dead-cap hit by dealing No. 3, but the team would still save a net of $11M, freeing up space for a roster in dire need of reinforcements.”