While it still seems unlikely that the Seahawks would part with franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, especially after a 12-4 season in which he was an MVP candidate, the team continues to leave that possibility open.
Seahawks president Chuck Arnold sent a letter to season-ticket holders this week that mentioned multiple players and coaches as reasons to be excited about next season, but curiously omitted Wilson.
This is of high interest to the Bears, who were one of four teams agent Mark Rodgers said Wilson would be willing to go to in a trade. That list narrowed to three with the Cowboys signing quarterback Dak Prescott to a massive extension Monday, leaving the Bears, Saints and Raiders as contenders for Wilson.
Wilson, 32, has played nine seasons for the Seahawks and won a Super Bowl. He posted three of his top four season passer ratings over the last three seasons. In 2020, he averaged 263.3 yards per game (nearly a career high), threw for 40 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and was seventh in the NFL with a 105.1 passer rating.
Despite that success, Wilson voiced frustration with how much he has gotten hit the last several seasons and wanted input in personnel decisions. He did not go so far as to request a trade, Rodgers said, but floating potential destinations made clear how serious he is about relocating. Rodgers also said Wilson’s preference is to work things out in Seattle.
That’d almost certainly be the Seahawks’ preference, too. They’ve gone 98-45-1 since drafting Wilson and have made the playoffs in 8 of 9 seasons. Wilson also has three years, $70 million left on his contract, and ESPN reported that trading him would result in a $39 million dead-salary-cap hit for the Seahawks this season.
The Bears are desperate to fix their quarterback situation after former No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky flamed out and trade acquisition Nick Foles floundered. Foles is the only quarterback currently under contract and is signed through 2022.
Wilson and Texans star Deshaun Watson are the top quarterbacks who could even potentially be available this offseason. The Rams already traded for Matt Stafford, and the Colts dealt for Carson Wentz.
If the Bears aren’t able to make a surprise deal for Watson or Wilson, their next best options would likely be trading for the Raiders’ Marcus Mariota or the Jets’ Sam Darnold — or follow the dominos and take a quarterback from another team that makes a deal. As far as free agents, Cam Newton, Tyrod Taylor, Andy Dalton, Alex Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick are likely the best quarterbacks on the market.
