Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.
Once again, there are reports about the Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson not getting along. Another day, another negative story. Seahawks fans are tired of this.
What is real, and how much is the media blowing simple things out of proportion? It’s wrong to dismiss what’s happening out of hand because there is a kernel of truth. At the same time, not everything is true either. Every story has two sides. The most important part to consider is how friction between Russ and the Seahawks translates to real-world solutions.
So RW3 heads to Tampa before the Super Bowl to claim his Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award. What does he see? First, there is Kansas City, who runs a fairly wide-open offense behind Pat Mahomes. Then there are the Tom Brady Buccaneers. Brady seems to have his finger on almost every move Tampa Bay makes. It’s kindling for the fire burning inside Russ for him to get what he believes is his due.
Yes, it’s the Championship game, but looking at those angles is extremely short-sided. The Chiefs are $23.1M over the 2021 cap. As for Tampa Bay, Brady came to the Bucs with six Super Bowl wins and three MVPs. He won a seat at the table by being the G.O.A.T.
What Russ overlooked is a) there were many years in New England where Brady took less money to have a better team. Additionally, he and Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians were very publicly not on the same page early in the season.
Reports are also circulating about Wilson’s dissatisfaction over the Seattle Seahawks offensive play calling and personnel. One story in the Athletic had Russ storming out of a meeting when the coaches didn’t use any of his play suggestions.
Understandably, Wilson wants to throw more. After all, he’s a quarterback; it’s what they do.
As I wrote in the last edition, this is Pete Carroll’s team. Russ knows it, Carroll knows it, the 12s know it, and everybody in the NFL knows it. Carroll is a run-first coach. It’s not a surprise like some members of the media make it out to be.
Is Wilson frustrated by the ground and pound? Absolutely. But again, Russ knew the situation when he signed a four-year, $140M extension on April 17, 2019. The dynamic hasn’t changed, and it’s unlikely to change as long as Carroll is the head coach.
One area both RW3 and the Seahawks should have in common is the goal of protecting him. The amount of hits taken over his career is astounding. Why the team has a revolving door of mediocre talent in front of him boggles the minds of the most diehard 12s. The Seahawks have to do a much better job of protecting their most valuable asset.
Once again, Russ needs to take a little blame. It’s hard to spend money on other players when Wilson’s $32M cap hit is almost 18 percent of the payroll. He can help by spreading some of the money around.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, per Wilson’s agent, Russ wants to stay in Seattle. But if they trade him, Wilson only wants to go to Dallas, New Orleans, Las Vegas, or Chicago.
If this weren’t so ridiculous, it would be funny. At this point, the Seahawks have no intention of trading their franchise quarterback. Even if they wanted to pull the trigger, which they don’t, it’s not feasible.
Russell Wilson’s contract makes him untradeable for at least another 16 months. There is a dead cap hit of $13M per season on the remaining three years of Wilson’s contract if he’s traded. For example, If Seattle sent RW3 to Dallas for a pair of first-round picks before the draft, the Seahawks incur $39M of dead cap. That is a roster-crippling sum.
For the sake of argument, let’s say Seattle Seahawks management was okay with the mega cap-hit. Aside from Dallas (+$19.3M), the teams Wilson said he would go to are over the cap and not by a little bit either. Chicago is $2.5M, Las Vegas and New Orleans are $9.1 and $69.5M over the line, respectively.
Russell is going nowhere. The only team he’ll play for in 2021, and more than likely 2022, is the Seattle Seahawks. He and his agent can play the media all they want; Wilson’s contract is unmovable for the Seahawks at this time.
For him to expect Pete Carroll to embrace a pass-first offense after all this time is unrealistic. Wilson better make peace with that fact; otherwise, he’ll continue to be miserable.
Has your opinion of Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks changed? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.