The Packers want to possibly bring John Schneider home. The Seahawks aren’t willing to let that happen. For now.
Per multiple reports, the Seahawks have declined permission to the Packers to interview the Seattle G.M. for the Green Bay G.M. position.
The Seahawks, based on the league’s anti-tampering policy, can prevent the interview because Schneider most likely constitutes a “high-level employee” within the language of the rules. (The policy contains a provision for disputes regarding whether an employee is truly a “high-level employee"; a G.M. can be a “high-level employee” without having final say over the composition of the 53-man roster.) But the Seahawks likely also can agree to allow the Packers and Schneider to negotiate a contract, if the Seahawks and Packers reach an advance agreement regarding the compensation he would receive, if he signs a deal with Green Bay.
Schneider’s previous contract with the Seahawks reportedly contained a clause allowing him to leave for the Packers. Schneider, a Packers shareholder, has said that the new contract he signed in 2016 contains no such clause.
It’s not known whether Schneider would be interested in joining the Packers. It’s only known that the Packers were sufficiently interested in him to request permission. In some cases, the denial from the employee’s current team happens because the employee isn’t interested, but the employee doesn’t want to say, “I’m not interested.”
Seahawks and Packers fans will be very interested in the outcome of this one. Schneider is regarded as one of the best personnel executives in football, building the 2013-14 NFC champions via the drafting of multiple key players in later rounds, including quarterback Russell Wilson (round three in 2012), cornerback Richard Sherman (round five in 2011), and safety Kam Chancellor (round six in 2010).