A history of Russell Wilson trade tweets
Verified accounts only
Has the question of whether or not the Seattle Seahawks should, could, or would trade Russell Wilson ever truly held any water? Na-no.
From the moment he was drafted in 2012 to the end of the 2021 season, I don’t believe that the Seahawks have ever considered trading Wilson, if for no other reason than the return value would have never made any sense; either for Seattle or the acquiring team. Could that change in 2022 now that the Seahawks have gone seven straight seasons without getting past the divisional round of the playoffs?
Probably not. No.
Leaving Pete Carroll’s age out of it, you can focus on a much more pressing issue for the long-tenured head coach, which is that he… hasn’t made it past the divisional round since 2014.
If Seattle isn’t going to rebuild in 2022, then they have no choice but to keep Wilson for the next 12 months. If Seattle is open to rebuilding in 2022, then what is Carroll still doing there?
The Seahawks must then be focused on reaching the Super Bowl next season and since Wilson has two years and a no-trade clause left on the deal he signed in 2019, then Carroll is clearly in the acquisition business in 2022 and not looking to sell off his most important player to the highest bidder. This is certainly a strategy that in general should not be scoffed at—it could make sense for the right franchise in the right circumstances—but Seattle’s clearly laying out a foundation to build around Wilson this offseason.
This won’t stop the rumors and the tweets about rumors. Oh God, hear come the tweets about rumors.
Though Russell Wilson trade rumors did not truly heat up until 2021—a time in which there was a 0-percent chance of the Seahawks trading Wilson—this hasn’t stopped people from tweeting about the Seahawks trading Russell Wilson. It didn’t stop speculation from Mike Florio that goes back as far as 2015, which you probably could have assumed, and it didn’t stop his colleague Chris Simms from alleging that Seattle was floating the idea of moving Wilson to the Browns for the number one pick in 2018.
As you’re well aware, it didn’t stop virtually every major NFL media member from speculating about a Russell Wilson trade last year despite the zero-percent chance of it actually happening.
I would not set the mark at 0-percent in 2022, but it’s damn close. The only reason that I might budge even slightly is that I could see teams playing so fast and so loose with first round picks this year that a general manager does make a pitch so compelling that John Schneider and Wilson (remember, no-trade clause) have no choice but to consider the possibilities of a blockbuster deal working in Seattle’s favor.
It’s still not going to happen but if the Seahawks don’t reach the Super Bowl in 2022-23, maybe we are only one year away from actual trade talks.
Here’s a brief history of tweets that directly, indirectly, and speculatively discuss the possibility of the Seahawks trading Russell Wilson. I’ve only pulled these from verified Twitter accounts, even tough by now we all know that Twitter is simply way too generous with giving out these little blue (now meaningless) checkmarks.
(Case in point: I am verified. Why?)
2014
2015
Updated Link to PFT article: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/28/a-trade-is-also-possible-for-russell-wilson/
Russell Wilson signed a four-year, $87.6 million extension with Seattle a month later.
(Not related to a Russell Wilson trade but still weird enough to share.)
2016
There’s nothing really to see in 2016, so I pulled this one for fun.
2017
2018
Reminder: Russell Wilson actually HAS been traded before. He was sent from the Rangers to the Yankees in 2018.
2019
Rumors heated up in 2019 because of a “contract extension deadline” set by Wilson and his agent. Tyrann Mathieu even got involved in the rumors, saying that Wilson wanted to go to the Giants despite the fact that the safety had never played there and had just signed a deal with the Chiefs.
Jack Del Rio got involved for some reason.
Colin Cowherd said that Wilson wanted to go to the Giants because Ciara was forcing his hand.
I found this not through Twitter, but Google: Andy Benoit says he would rather have Jacoby Brissett than Russell Wilson and his contract:
Andy now works for Sean McVay and the Rams…
Jason La Canfora said that the Seahawks almost certainly wouldn’t meet Wilson’s contract deadline. Wilson signed a four-year, $140 million contract less than week after this speculative article about Seattle trading him and the rumors—obviously—died off for a little while.
2020
Chris Simms alleged that the Seahawks and Browns “floated the idea” of trading Russell Wilson for the number one pick in 2018.
I really wish I hadn’t read the sentence, “If Wilson isn’t untouched as a player”.
Hue Jackson says this did not happen.
2021
Now the fun begins.
January
February
March
“Never say never”? Really? Never?
Ironically, Brockers was traded to the NFC North shortly after this.
April
Then finally maybe things start to cool off…
June….
It’s finally over! Until—
December…
