By Brandon Simmons
The Seattle Seahawks shook up the NFL world when they traded quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver Broncos, parting ways with the QB who gave them their only Super Bowl title. The Broncos will be receiving a future hall-of-fame signal caller while sending off their former 2nd round pick, QB Drew Lock, in addition to a load of draft capital. While the trade caught some off guard, it was not too surprising.
For a couple of years now, it appeared the Seahawks and Russ were headed into different directions. Even though he signed a 4 year extension with the team in 2019, last year the trade rumors began to emerge. According to Bleacher Report, there were concerns from Wilson about his involvement with personnel decisions and input on improving the offense. Wilson expressed his thoughts on The Dan Patrick show, and subsequently, Patrick reported that Seattle’s management was not thrilled about the comments, per a source that told him. As the rumors picked up it was reported Wilson would waive his no-trade clause for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.
Fast forward to today, and those rumors have become reality, benefitting both teams. Seattle sent Wilson and a 4th round pick to Denver in exchange for Lock, defensive end Shelby Harris, tight end Noah Fant, two 1st round picks, two 2nd round picks and a 5th rounder. It seems like a lot, but the Broncos get a high-level QB they have been searching for since the retirement of Peyton Manning, while the Seahawks get a ton of assets to get started on their rebuild.
As for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, this is a solid ending for both parties involved. Wilson has kept this team competitive for 10 seasons which includes 2 Super Bowl appearances, one championship and only one missed postseason appearance. It was kind of hard for the team to replicate that success over the years, as they let go of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner were the only players left from the last Super Bowl win, which was ironically against the Broncos. This did not stop Russ playing at an exceptional level, including putting on a MVP-type performance in 2020. Despite that – just like every other year after their last Super Bowl appearance – the Seahawks fell short of having any real playoff success, going 2-4 in the postseason since their last trip to the big game. Part of this reason, was a porous defense that never seemed to have been within that same time frame. Wilson arrives to a Broncos team that has a young, up-and-coming wide receiver core which includes Jerry Jeudy. The Seahawks are going to be loaded with assets for finding Wilson’s replacement but also to reuild this team in hopes of returning to a highly-competitive level within a few years.