The Seattle Seahawks could acquire one of the most notable young quarterbacks in the NFL.
In a proposed trade idea by Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, the Seahawks would be involved in a blockbuster trade of sorts with the Chicago Bears. In the proposed deal, Seattle would trade franchise quarterback Russell Wilson in exchange for young Bears QB Justin Fields, linebacker Roquan Smith, a 2023 first-round draft pick and 2022 and 2023 second-round draft picks.
The Bears were previously mentioned as one of the teams Wilson would be willing to be traded to last offseason.
Kay explains why the Bears would want to make another offer for Wilson, despite their attempt failing last time around.
Why a Trade Could Persuade Seahawks
“Former Bears general manager Ryan Pace reportedly offered three first-round picks, a third-rounder and two starters for Wilson last offseason, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times, before having to settle for signing Andy Dalton and drafting Justin Fields,” says Kay. “Both Dalton and Fields proved to be ineffective, resulting in the Bears missing the postseason with a disappointing 6-11 record.
Although the Bears struggled with those quarterbacks, Wilson could instantly transform them into a contender. Chicago has $34.3 million in projected cap room this offseason, so it wouldn’t take much finagling to squeeze in Wilson’s $37.0 million cap hit.
New Bears GM Ryan Poles would likely need to make a massive offer to get a deal done, but it would bring real hope to the Windy City for the first time in years. Meanwhile, the Seahawks would get to kick the tires on Fields and a linebacker for the foreseeable future in Roquan Smith.
Those players, coupled with a handful of draft picks, would jump-start a rebuild in the Pacific Northwest.”
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Seahawks Would Enter Rebuild Mode
While the move is more than enticing when it comes to a potential rebuild in Seattle, it would go against head coach Pete Carroll’s message at the conclusion of the 2021 season. The longtime Seahawks head coach — he’ll turn 71 years old in 2022 — stressed that the Seahawks will reload for the 2022 season rather than rebuild.
By moving Wilson for an unproven second-year quarterback and three high-profile draft selections, the Seahawks are in full rebuild mode.
As previously reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Wilson hasn’t demanded or requested a trade from the Seattle. But similar to what was reported last offseason, the 33-year-old quarterback remains open to the idea of a trade to the right team. It’s pretty clear what that means — Wilson is happy enough to remain in Seattle, but he’s also aware there might be better options elsewhere.
With Wilson holding a no-trade clause in his contract, he holds all of the cards as far as where his potential destination might be.
Fields had some bright moments during his rookie campaign, rushing for 420 yards overall despite making just 10 starts. Furthermore, he led the Bears to a victory over the playoff-bound Las Vegas Raiders and nearly led them to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football when he threw for 291 yards.
But there were far more lowlights than highlights. At times, Fields was a turnover machine. The 22-year-old quarterback threw 10 interceptions versus his seven touchdown passes and fumbled 12 times, while losing five of them (second-most in the NFL).
If the Seahawks trade Wilson, they’re conceding to a rebuild while trading one of the most accomplished passers in the league. While they would obviously try to build around Fields, the main attraction of the deal would be acquiring the first and second-round draft picks.
Is a rebuild something that interests Carroll, who is entering the final years of his coaching career?
That’s hard to believe. But maybe the Seahawks believe they could find their next great passer in the first round of next year’s NFL draft.
Proposed Trade With NFC Rival Sees Seahawks Land Young QB