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The Philadelphia Eagles were turned down by a star quarterback.
As reported by Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop while appearing on the “Brock and Salk Show” in Seattle, the Eagles were interested in trading for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson last offseason. However, Wilson — who had a no-trade clause in his contract — nixed the potential deal. Wilson was eventually traded to the Denver Broncos.
“I think what I would say is that the Eagles really wanted him – I think they liked his style of play, and I think that makes sense, right, because he’s similar to Jalen Hurts, especially when he was in his prime and a little bit faster than now,” Bishop said. “My understanding is that at that point in time, Russ wanted to stay here [in Seattle].”
Previous Reports Revealed Russell Wilson’s Lack of Interest in Eagles
Quarterbacks coach Jake Heaps — who works closely with Wilson and is a former Seahawks quarterback himself — revealed more details during an interview in 2022 with Denver radio station KOA.
“He turned down the Washington [Commanders] offer,” said Heaps. “He turned down an offer from Philly during the Combine. And the Denver situation was the clear-cut, number one choice for him going into all these other teams.”
Bishop’s report and Heaps’ comments line up with NFL Network Ian Rapoport’s details of the situation. Rapoport previously reported that he was “convinced” Wilson would be traded to either the Eagles or the Washington Commanders during last year’s Combine. However, Wilson’s lack of interest in going to either team nixed those deals.
“There were times last year when I was pretty convinced at the combine that either the Eagles or Commanders were going to trade for Russell Wilson,” Rapoport said back in April.
“That was one where you kind of stop everything and you’re like, ‘Hang on,'” Rapoport said of the rumors of Wilson going to Philly. “But it turned out that was not something he was into.”
Eagles Benefit From Russell Wilson Nixing Trade
It’s safe to say that Wilson’s lack of interest in Philadelphia ended up being in the best interest for the Eagles. Entering last season, Jalen Hurts’ future with Philadelphia was uncertain despite leading them to a surprise playoff berth during the 2021 season.
Following the conclusion of the 2022 season, Hurts is the clear-cut franchise quarterback in Philadelphia after leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance. Hurts was the favorite for the MVP award prior to a late-season shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games. Hurts threw 22 touchdowns — ran for 13 additional touchdowns — and posted a 101.5 passer rating last season.
He also recently inked a five-year, $255 million ($180 million guaranteed) contract extension that temporarily made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Wilson struggled through the worst season of his career as the Broncos emerged as the NFL’s most disappointing team last season with a 5-12 record. Wilson threw just 16 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions for an 84.4 passer rating. His passer rating ranked 27th among all quarterbacks last season.
While Wilson may not have been interested in joining Philadelphia last season, it probably wasn’t a wise decision considering how things have panned out for both sides.
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