The quarterback carousel eventually could be getting a blast of nitrous oxide.
The Seahawks, according to NFL Media, have received “a couple of calls” about a possible trade of quarterback Russell Wilson. Per the report, there’s “no chance” Seattle will trade him.
This implies that Wilson remains one of the few untouchable players in the NFL. Is that really the case?
For now, he surely is. A pre-June 2 trade would spark a $39 million cap charge for 2021. After the 2021 season, it could be worth calling Seattle again.
That’s when Wilson will be closing in again on the expiration of his contract. Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, has a habit of pushing for shorter-term, market value deals. Wilson, drafted in 2012, has signed a pair of four-year extensions. He currently makes $35 million per year.
After the coming season, he’ll have two years and $50 million left on his current contract. Rodgers, a baseball agent who has no other NFL clients and thus never has to worry about how driving a hard bargain for Wilson could affect his ability to do business on behalf of others, could start jostling for a new contract that gives Wilson even more money.
There’s also a chance that, after a year with Shane Waldron running the offense (while coach Pete Carroll potentially steers it toward a run-based attack), Wilson may get antsy about where things are heading for his career, as he inches toward 35 with only one ring.
Some in league circles believe Wilson eventually will play for another team. The rubber could meet the road if/when Wilson tries to get yet another market-level deal and the Seahawks decide that, dollar for dollar, the investment is no longer justified.
Simms has heard, and we’ve confirmed, that the Seahawks toyed with the idea of trading Wilson to the Browns for the first overall pick in 2018, with a plan to draft Josh Allen. At some point, there’s an argument to be made that it’s easier to pursue a championship with a quarterback playing on a rookie deal.
Indeed, Seattle’s last Super Bowl berth happened in the last season before the Seahawks made Wilson one of the highest-paid players in the game.