The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos shocked the entire NFL world on Tuesday when they agreed to a trade centering around Russell Wilson.
In return for Wilson and a fourth-rounder, Seattle acquired two first-rounders, two second-rounders, a fifth-rounder, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive tackle Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant.
Not a bad haul, right? Sure, but it could have been better. The Washington Commanders were reportedly willing to put three first-rounders on the table.
There was just one problem: Wilson wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause for them.
From NFL Now: Russell Wilson chose the #Broncos. pic.twitter.com/kLm3meNrQl
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2022
“My understanding was this was the only team Russell Wilson wanted to go to,” insider Ian Rapoport said Tuesday on NFL Total Access.
“A couple teams had talked to Seattle about trading for Russell Wilson. Washington Commanders were among the teams that made an offer. It was a big offer, as good or even better than this. Russell Wilson wanted to go to the Denver Broncos. It’s a place he likes … and they have a roster that is essentially stacked at receiver, on defense, at running back. All they needed was a quarterback, and they got one.”
That aligns with something NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reported.
“…Russ wouldn’t waive no trade after offers from [Washington] and [the Philadelphia Eagles],” he said.
Wilson has been telegraphing that there was only one team he was actually interested in for some time now. In that vein, none of this is shocking.
With this trade, one of the longest-running soap operas of the past year comes to an end. Wilson has been unhappy in Seattle for a while now, and as a result he has been making a lot of other people unhappy too.
Even his teammates seemed over it.
This change of scenery will likely benefit everyone, especially if the Seahawks end up adding a decent quarterback in his place.
Paige kept it real. https://t.co/8gO0TGLONW
— Game 7 (@game7__) March 9, 2022
How will Wilson ultimately fare in Denver? Will he be able to return to his form from four or so years ago? Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
