The Russell Wilson rumors just got a lot more intriguing if you’re a fan of the Chicago Bears. If things continue to sour between Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, not only does Chicago remain a top choice for the 32-year-old quarterback, but the team may have an ace in the hole in the form of a touchdown-snagging veteran tight end.
In his weekly column for Pro Football Talk, long-time analyst Peter King shared an eyebrow-raising tidbit about the current situation with Wilson, mentioning why the Bears, specifically, remain a top contender to steal the Super Bowl-winning quarterback away from Seattle — if it comes to that, of course.
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King: Russell Wilson ‘Loves the City’ of Chicago
King seems to think Bears tight end Jimmy Graham — who played with Wilson in Seattle from 2015-17 — could be a bit of an x-factor here. The two former teammates remain good friends off the field, and King says that, coupled with the quarterback’s knowledge of and appreciation for Chicago as a sports town, may give Chicago a distinct advantage over other teams in the potential Wilson Sweepstakes.
Here’s what King had to say about the situation Monday morning:
As for the Bears, I think there are three things at play: Chicago tight end Jimmy Graham is a good friend of Wilson’s, and he’s told him good things about the team and the city. Wilson loves the sporting zeal of the city, the love for the Cubs, the love for the Bears, and might look at it like, Chicago hasn’t had a lot of great quarterbacks, and I could be one. Maybe I could be the missing piece, and how crazy would Chicago go if the Bears ever got great again? And I think he loves the city.
Wilson Recently Admitted to Being ‘Frustrated’ With Seahawks
Just last month, before rumors flew that he would welcome a trade emerged, Wilson admitted he was tired of being sacked in Seattle.
The eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback also admitted he was frustrated with the organization that drafted him: “I’m frustrated [about] getting hit too much. I’m frustrated with that part of it. At the end of the day, you want to win,” he said, per ABC News, adding:
“I think that sometimes you hold onto it a little bit just because you’re looking for that play and you find it, but also so many of those times it turns into touchdowns too,” Wilson elaborated. “But you never want to be sacked that many times. Four-hundred times basically is way too many — 400 too many. So I think that’s a big thing that we’ve got to fix. That’s got to be fixed and has to be at the end of the day, because my goal is to play 10 to 15 more years.”
The veteran signal-caller certainly knows a thing or two about winning — he has never had a losing season since entering the league in 2012 (his worst year was a 9-7 mark in 2017). He had a career competition percentage of 65.1, and he has thrown for less than 25 touchdowns just twice in nine seasons. If Chicago could somehow defy the odds and snag him, he’d immediately make the team a contender.
Wilson Would ‘Happily Accept’ Deal to Bears, Says Analyst
The Bears seem to be the first team on analysts’ minds when speaking of a possible Wilson trade. King is now the second prominent and respected NFL insider to talk about the possibility of Wilson to Chicago as a very real one. NFL insider Adam Schefter went on ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy last week and noted that while he doesn’t know why Wilson is keen on playing for Chicago, which has had its own o-line issues in recent years, he also knows the veteran quarterback’s interest in the Bears is very real.
“If the Bears struck a deal with the Seahawks, Russell Wilson would happily accept his walking papers to the Windy City,” Schefter told co-hosts Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman.
“He’s not happy with the offensive line protection in Seattle, he’s not happy with the way some of the things have been done there, but he is open to going to Chicago,” Schefter said. “I didn’t help him make the list, so I can’t say why the Bears are on it and other teams aren’t. I just know that they are,” he added.
While it’s unlikely Seattle will trade away its franchise quarterback — because why would they? — it’s also clear things aren’t copacetic between Wilson and the Seahawks, either. Stay tuned, Bears fans. Things are just getting interesting.
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Bears Gaining Momentum, Remain Top Contender for Russell Wilson: Report