Apart from the question of whether the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson can work out a new contract is the question of whether Wilson will try to play baseball and football. Embedded within that question is the question of whether the Seahawks would let him.
“That’s not something I’d get into right now,” G.M. John Schneider told KIRO radio on Wednesday regarding whether the Seahawks would contractually stop Wilson from playing baseball.
The Standard Player Contract provides that an NFL player cannot “engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury.” It’s unclear whether baseball falls within the category of activities that involves a significant risk of personal injury. There’s risk of injury from a baseball (especially when thrown at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour), the bat, and the spikes, but how “significant” is it?
Regardless, a lot of damage would have to be done to the relationship before the Seahawks would actually be developing arguments to present in court regarding the nature of the risks of playing baseball. And the possibility of Wilson playing baseball would have to be something more tangible than the musings of a young man who thinks he can do anything. Which is all it may be at this point.
“I think one of the primary things that really attracted Russell to us — I know me in particular — was the confidence he has in himself and the goals, dreams, aspirations,” Schneider said. “He’s off the charts in terms of his confidence level and the way he views himself, so it doesn’t surprise me that he would think that way. Quite frankly, I haven’t thought much about the baseball aspect of it. Based on the position that he plays in football, I think it would be difficult. But the way he attacks everything, I don’t think you could put anything past him.”
So anything can happen when it comes to Wilson playing baseball. And anything can happen when it comes to the future of Wilson playing quarterback for the Seahawks. While it remains unlikely that he won’t be playing quarterback for the Seahawks, every day that passes without the two sides doing a new deal puts them a day closer to a potential divorce.