Getty A proposed blockbuster trade sees Russell Wilson heading to the Raiders.
The Seattle Seahawks would benefit greatly from this blockbuster trade involving quarterbacks.
The Seahawks enter an uncertain future heading into the 2022 season. On the heels of their first losing campaign of the Pete Carroll/Russell Wilson era, it’s unclear if the Seahawks plan to move forward with the two key figures leading the franchise.
Rumors of a possible Wilson trade have run rampant over recent weeks. While the most rumored teams have been from the NFC side — the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, for example — there is one possible trade suitor from the AFC side.
In a January 19 Twitter poll, sports website uSTADIUM proposes a trade in which the Seahawks would trade Wilson to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Derek Carr, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 first-round pick.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of voters (75.5%) believed the Raiders would say “no” to the deal, with only 24.5% believing the Seahawks would nix the deal.
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Seahawks Would Benefit from Trade
For perspective, Carr is over two years younger than Wilson. And while Carr isn’t nearly as accomplished as Wilson due to his lack of playoff experience, he’s arguably just as good of a quarterback at this stage of their careers.
The 30-year-old Carr posted a 77.6 offensive grade (13th in the NFL) and 77.5 passer grade (12th in the league) this past season, according to Pro Football Focus. By comparison, Wilson posted a 73.9 offensive grade (20th in the NFL) and 70.7 passer grade (18th in the league).
It’s true that Wilson regressed big time this season, likely due to finger surgery midway through the year. Prior to his 2021 campaign, the 10-year veteran has only ranked lower than sixth among quarterbacks just once over the past six seasons.
Meanwhile, Carr has ranked in the top six in passer grade just once in his eight-year career.
The benefits of a potential Wilson-Carr deal for the Seahawks are the draft picks — two first-round picks and a second-round selection — and the fact that Carr is not only younger, but he has just one year left on his deal at a bargain rate of under $20 million this upcoming season.
On the other hand, Wilson is owed $77 million over the next two seasons as part of the massive contract extension he signed back in 2019.
While it’s hard to believe the Raiders would pull off such a trade after coming off of a postseason berth, it would be hard to believe the Seahawks would nix such a potential deal.
It’s worth making clear that while Wilson has yet to request a trade, he hasn’t ruled out one either.
Insider: Wilson Keeping Options Open
NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport gave the latest update on the ongoing Wilson trade rumors on January 16, saying that the veteran quarterback is keeping his options open.
“And just like last year, sources say Russell Wilson wants to explore his options to see what else might be out there for him,” Rapoport said “Wilson has not demanded a trade, and it’s not clear if he will. But at the least, those close to Wilson say he wants to investigate other destinations to see if those would put him in a better position to win another championship and create the legacy he sees for himself.”
We’ll see which direction the Seahawks head into moving forward, but nothing is for certain when it comes to Wilson’s future with the team.