New Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson confirmed the rumors that the Seattle Seahawks explored trading the star in previous years prior to the team finally making a deal to send the signal-caller to the AFC West. Wilson noted that the Seahawks “definitely” explored trading him on multiple occasions.
“Definitely, they tried to a couple times and tried to see what was out there,” Wilson admitted during a September 8 press conference. “It’s part of the business and it’s part of being a professional and everything else.
“Upset [about the trade proposals] is probably the wrong word, I don’t think that. I believe in my talent, who I am. I believe I’m one of the best in the world. I don’t worry about anything else other than that. I think at the same time, too, I think my focus has always been on winning and what we can do and how we can add great players and everything else.
“I got to play with some amazing guys, some [of the] world’s best, Duane Brown. Guys like Chris Carson, [who] unfortunately can’t play anymore, just a guy like that. DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Bobby Wagner, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. So, my focus is always on winning. That’s really all that matters.”
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The Seahawks Attempted to Trade Wilson to the Browns for the No. 1 Pick in 2018: Report
Wilson was asked about ESPN’s Brady Henderson’s report that the Seahawks offered Wilson to the Browns in exchange for the No. 1 pick in 2018. Ultimately, the Browns opted not to make the deal, but this shows the tension between Wilson and Seattle went on for several years before general manager John Schneider agreed to a trade with the Broncos.
“Then came the clearest sign yet to Wilson’s camp that Seattle’s interest in other quarterbacks was something more than due diligence,” Henderson wrote on September 7. “The Seahawks, according to someone in Wilson’s camp and the Seahawks’ front office, called the Cleveland Browns before the 2018 draft to discuss a trade that would have swapped Wilson for the No. 1 overall pick. Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, found out.
“The Browns weren’t interested, but Seattle’s flirtation motivated Rodgers to secure a no-trade clause when he negotiated Wilson’s four-year, $140 million extension the following April.”
Seattle Wanted to Draft Mahomes in 2017: Report
Some of the drama extended to back to back years of Schneider attending the pro days of top quarterback prospects like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. A Seahawks front-office source told Henderson that “Wilson’s camp” was ‘f****** pissed’ about Seattle showing an interest in other quarterbacks. Kansas City traded up to snag Mahomes with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, meaning Seattle never had a chance to consider taking the quarterback at No. 26.
“In the Spring of 2017, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was a conspicuous attendant at Patrick Mahomes’ pro day,” Henderson noted. “The GM had become so enamored with the Texas Tech quarterback that Seattle would have taken him had he been available late in the first round, multiple team sources said. The massive gamble on an unproven quarterback would have carried an obvious benefit: flexibility to build the roster around a cheap rookie contract the way Seattle had done during Wilson’s first three seasons when the Seahawks won one Super Bowl and nearly a second.”
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Russell Wilson Sounds Off on Trade Rumors Ahead of Seahawks Showdown