Seahawks To Trade Russell Wilson To Broncos
9:57pm: Wilson has signed his no-trade provision and passed his physical, making the deal official on his end, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The other players involved in the trade still have to take their physical.
12:46pm: The Seahawks have agreed to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The deal will see multiple draft picks go to Seattle, plus quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant (Twitter link). 
Details are still emerging, but when all is said and done, the deal will see three players (Lock, Harris, and Fant) go to Seattle along with two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick. The Broncos, meanwhile, get Wilson plus a Round 4 choice (Twitter link via Jay Glazer of FOX Sports). Even when accounting for Wilson’s talent and accomplishments, it all adds up to a solid haul for the Seahawks.
The Seahawks have been at odds with their star quarterback for quite some time. Now, after years of speculation, they’ve finally turned the page. The Broncos, meanwhile, have a Hall of Fame worthy quarterback for the first time since Peyton Manning‘s retirement.
Previously, head coach Pete Carroll said that the Seahawks had “no intention” of moving Wilson. Ultimately, however, Wilson wanted a new start. The Seahawks also get an opportunity at something of a clean slate. Wilson’s $35MM-per-year contract wasn’t necessarily outsized, but it was a blocker on their books. Now, Carroll & Co. can reshape the team as they see fit — perhaps with a QB with less gripes about the rest of the roster.
“At this time of year, there’s conversations about everybody, and it’s commonplace for us to have conversations with teams about all of the players, particularly marquee players,” Carroll said recently. “That’s not changed. It’s been the same every year. It’s the same…We have no intention of making any move there. But the conversations, [GM] John [Schneider] has to field those, he always has. But nothing specific.”
Wilson has had his eyes on the Broncos for a while, dating back to his four-team list of acceptable trade destinations. Still, in interviews, the 33-year-old tried to slow the rumor mill down.
“I’ve been fortunate to be able to play ten amazing years in Seattle,” Wilson said roughly three weeks ago. “My hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there. That’s the vision, that’s the goal. That’s always been it, never been anything different.”
Wilson has been connected to a number of teams this year, including the newly-crowned Washington Commanders. They were said to have sent a “strong offer,” though it’s unclear if they approached the Broncos’ mega-package. Wilson, of course, holds a no-trade clause, so it’s possible that the Broncos had the second-best offer en route to the winning bid.
The Broncos also had the cap room to accommodate the deal, unlike some of the other teams tied to Wilson. Heading into today, they had $41.999M in cap space. So, even before factoring in Lock and Harris, Denver had the room necessary to take on the deal.
The Broncos may agree to give Wilson a brand-new deal as a part of the trade. So far, we’ve yet to hear any word on that front. For now, they’ve got the superstar under contract for two more non-guaranteed years.
QB Fallout: Packers, Rodgers, Broncos, Wilson, Seahawks, Steelers, Panthers
Although the timing is rather conspicuous, the Broncos‘ move to acquire Russell Wilson may not be closely connected to Aaron Rodgers‘ decision to stay with the Packers. Denver did not engage with Green Bay on Rodgers this offseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. The Broncos had been connected to Rodgers for nearly a year, when the then-disgruntled superstar included them on a list of acceptable trade destinations ahead of the 2021 draft. A previous report indicated Denver and Green Bay had trade terms lined up, in the event Rodgers informed the Packers he wanted out, but Schefter’s account would appear to contradict that. It does seem the Broncos were still eyeing Rodgers this year, with 9News’ Mike Klis reporting the team wanted to exit the offseason with either Wilson or Rodgers (Twitter link). After the Combine produced considerable buzz connecting Rodgers to a Green Bay return, Klis adds the Broncos and Seahawks’ Wilson talks accelerated. The clubs had been discussing Wilson for weeks. As such, it probably was not a coincidence both QB headlines occurred within hours of each other.
Here is the latest from an explosive day on the quarterback scene:
- Wilson made noise about his Seahawks situation in 2021, and Schefter notes those comments irked some within the organization. Wilson continued to say he wanted to stay in Seattle, but Schefter adds he planned to revisit some issues he had with the Seahawks at some point this offseason. The perennial Pro Bowler, however, did not try to force his way out of Seattle this year, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The Seahawks kept Wilson in the loop on their talks with the Broncos, Breer adds. They certainly needed to run it by him, given the no-trade clause included in Wilson’s 2019 extension.
- The Broncos not only topped Wilson’s destination list, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates they were the only team he wanted to be traded to this year. Denver does not have receivers who have proven as much as Tyler Lockett or D.K. Metcalf, but the team is deep at that position and employs promising running back Javonte Williams. Ex-Wilson Wisconsin teammate Melvin Gordon is on the radar to return as well. Wilson’s agent named the Bears, Raiders, Saints and Cowboys as acceptable trade destinations for his client last year, but the Broncos emerged as a candidate late in 2021. The Broncos passed on Wilson in 2012, taking Brock Osweiler in the second round, but the Colorado Rockies did draft him in 2010.
- Denver will keep one of its two 2022 second-rounders, sending Seattle its own 2022 and ’23 Round 2 picks, Mike Klis of 9News notes. The Broncos will retain the second-rounder they obtained in last year’s Von Miller trade (No. 64 overall). The fourth-rounder Seattle is sending to Denver is a 2022 pick, Schefter tweets. The Broncos also have two third-rounders this year, the latter of which acquired in the Miller deal. Miller is rumored to be back on the Broncos’ radar. Tuesday’s Wilson trade probably will not quiet those rumblings, though Klis suggests the longtime Bronco edge rusher is likely to end up elsewhere (Twitter link).
- The Steelers were connected to Rodgers last week, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes they were not believed to be major players on this trail (ESPN+ link). Bridge-type passers like Jameis Winston, Mitchell Trubisky and previous Broncos starter Teddy Bridgewater are believed to be on Pittsburgh’s radar.
- More than a dozen teams were believed to have contacted the Seahawks on Wilson, per Schefter. The Panthers, who have longtime Seahawks exec Scott Fitterer as GM, were among those to do so, Joe Person of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Carolina is still in the market for a quarterback. Considering the interest the team showed in Deshaun Watson last year, more rumors connecting these two parties figure to surface in the coming weeks. The Panthers remain interested, though Watson’s 2022 availability remains in doubt.
Commanders Offered Seahawks Multiple First-Rounders, Picks In Three Drafts For Russell Wilson
The Seahawks-Russell Wilson era came to an abrupt end Tuesday, with Seattle and Denver agreeing to a monster trade. This arms the Broncos with a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback, filling the position after Denver trotted out a number of starting QBs since Peyton Manning‘s retirement.
But Washington was first connected to making a Wilson offer. The Commanders have made it known they are interested in a veteran passer, and their offer included multiple first-round picks and selections in three drafts, per ESPN.com’s John Keim and the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (Twitter links). It did not prove to be enough, though the Seahawks likely prioritized moving Wilson out of the NFC. And Wilson’s no-trade clause allowed him to control his destination.
The Commanders asked the Seahawks if they wanted a player to be included in the proposal as well, Keim adds, but Seattle did not propose a counteroffer. The Seahawks had been negotiating with the Broncos on Wilson for weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes. Wilson, 33, moved Denver to the top of his destination list, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. The Broncos did not appear on Wilson’s list of acceptable trade destinations during the 2021 offseason, but a late-season report included them on an amended list of sorts.
While one glaring quarterback need is filled, another remains. Washington still has Taylor Heinicke rostered, but Ron Rivera has made it clear the team wants to upgrade. With Wilson and Aaron Rodgers are off the table, the Commanders could look to Jimmy Garoppolo. They hold the No. 11 pick in the first round, and while this year’s quarterback class has been brushed off for months, Washington sitting behind Carolina, Atlanta and now-QB-needy Seattle will not make it a sure thing the draft’s top QB falls out of the top 10.
Commanders Send Seahawks ‘Strong’ Russell Wilson Offer
Ron Rivera has made no secret of the fact the Commanders are seeking a quarterback upgrade. The team is not wasting time moving into the trade mix.
Washington sent Seattle a “strong offer” for Russell Wilson, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). His colleague Adam Maya adds that “multiple first-round picks” were involved. The Seahawks have made it known they do not view Wilson as available right now. While the right offer could conceivably change that, Rapoport adds Seattle shut down Washington’s effort to land the 10-year starting QB. Both the Seahawks and Wilson can shut down offers, with Wilson holding a no-trade clause.
The Commanders have been in need for a long-term QB option since Kirk Cousins‘ 2018 free agency exit, having seen injuries (to Alex Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick) and a draft whiff (Dwayne Haskins) derail their post-Cousins plans at the position. A year after making a big offer for Matthew Stafford, Washington intends to take big swings to finally solve this perennial problem. The Commanders offered the Lions their 2021 first-rounder and more for Stafford. They surely sent the Seahawks a stronger proposal.
Washington has “called everywhere” regarding available or potentially available passers, Rapoport tweets. This saga should not be considered over, though this year’s QB trade market has not produced too many fireworks yet. Rivera said this week he wants a veteran to lead his quarterback room, but the team holding the No. 11 overall pick should not be considered out of the mix for one of this year’s top QB prospects — especially if most of the rumored trade candidates are not truly available.
Mentioned in trade rumors for over a year, Wilson was interested in exploring his options entering this offseason. But noise involving the perennial Pro Bowler has not matched the level of 2021, when Wilson’s agent sent out acceptable trade destinations and he addressed certain issues he had with Pete Carroll. It cannot be certain Wilson will be back in Seattle next season, but all the early signs point to it.
Seahawks Fielding Calls On Russell Wilson, Deny QB’s Availability
The uncertainty surrounding Russell Wilson‘s Seattle situation has prompted teams to call GM John Schneider regarding the decorated quarterback’s availability. The team continues to insist its 10-year starter is not available.
Schneider and Pete Carroll said this week the team is not shopping Wilson, who has been in off-and-on trade rumors for over a year. While Schneider confirmed he has discussed Wilson with other teams, he is not interested in a trade.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t listen to it, if I just blew people off,” Schneider said (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta), before adding there is no substance to the trade buzz regarding Wilson. “… When it’s out there in the media and all that, of course if I was with another team I’d call and be like, ‘Hey, what’s up with Russell Wilson?’ Just because you field those calls and questions doesn’t mean we are out there actively shopping him.”
Carroll confirmed the Seahawks have “no intention” of moving Wilson, whose $35MM-per-year contract runs through 2023. This, of course, comes a year after Wilson and Carroll butted heads about the state of the franchise and the QB’s agent unveiled a four-team list of acceptable trade destinations. The Broncos and Giants later made their way onto that list, and an end-of-season report indicated Wilson wanted to explore his options. The 33-year-old passer has since said he wants to finish his career in Seattle.
With more chatter about Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay, Wilson’s less turbulent offseason further chills the quarterback market. Jimmy Garoppolo‘s surgery is set to prevent him from throwing until the summer, likely impacting his trade value, and new Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell is behind Kirk Cousins. This chain of events could well represent closing doors for QB-needy teams, potentially injecting more intrigue into this year’s draft.
Wilson playing next season in Seattle would push this situation to a key point, with Condotta adding a new contract that makes the Pro Bowler the league’s highest-paid passer would be the Wilson camp’s ask in 2023. The Seahawks completed this task in 2019, when Wilson’s previous deal had one year remaining.
QB Rumors: 49ers, Wilson, Winston, Texans
Of the starting quarterbacks mentioned in trade rumors, Jimmy Garoppolo looms as the likeliest candidate to move. The five-year 49ers starter saying as much and having talked to his general manager about a potential destination is a fairly clear indicator of a move. However, Garoppolo being dealt is not a certainty. Trey Lance has a long way to go in his climb toward being a reliable starter, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said during an interview with Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov (via SI.com). The 21-year-old Division I-FCS alum was “further away than people realized” this past season, Schefter adds, noting Garoppolo remains well-liked in San Francisco’s locker room. While it would be a surprise if the 49ers kept Garoppolo, the prospect of him playing out his contract and keeping Lance in developmental mode in 2022 did surface last summer.
The statuses of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins may put the 49ers in a good spot regarding a Garoppolo trade offer, however. The QB trade market drying up would lead to more Garoppolo interest; as of now, the 49ers are seeking a Day 2 pick and change in a trade. They would need to weigh offers, Lance’s readiness and the prospect of a third-round 2024 compensatory pick — for Garoppolo’s 2023 free agency exit — in this equation.
Here is the latest from the quarterback rumor circuit:
- Wilson has said he wants to stay with the Seahawks, but coming out of a disappointing season, the veteran quarterback has also been connected to exploring his options to see if another team could give him opportunities his current one cannot. For the time being, owner Jody Allen is behind keeping Wilson, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. It is unclear how much Allen supports ensuring the perennial Pro Bowler stays in Washington, and given Wilson’s value at age 33 and with two years left on his contract, Breer does expect a trade to eventually happen. After Rodgers makes his intentions known, this will be the top QB situation to monitor.
- The Saints used four starting quarterbacks last season and have their preferred 2021 starter on track for free agency. Jameis Winston is coming off an ACL tear and might again need a prove-it season. Many around the league expect the Saints to again provide that opportunity, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. New Orleans is once again in its own league for cap purposes, being more than $75MM over the projected 2022 cap. Winston coming back on a low salary would help the Saints, even if the seven-year veteran would represent another stopgap year post-Drew Brees.
- The Texans are behind Davis Mills as their starter, but they are interested in keeping Tyrod Taylor around. Taylor impressed Houston’s coaching staff during his first Texans season, Fowler adds. Taylor signed a one-year, $5.5MM deal to work as a starter during Deshaun Watson‘s time away from the team. Mills supplanted Taylor, continuing a familiar routine for the ex-Bills starter, but it sounds like his relationship with new OC Pep Hamilton — Taylor’s position coach with the Chargers in 2020 — is solid enough it could well lead to another year of QB2 work in Houston.
Latest On Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
For the better part of a year, there have been rumblings that Russell Wilson could be looking to play elsewhere in 2022. However, during an interview with SiriusXM’s Chris Russo, the quarterback indicated that he wants to stick with the Seahawks.
“I’ve been fortunate to be able to play 10 amazing years in Seattle,” Wilson said (h/t to Daniel Chavkin of SI.com). “My hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there. That’s the vision, that’s the goal. That’s always been it, never been anything different.”
The most recent report indicated that the organization planned to retain Wilson, though the team wouldn’t say anything different at this point and risk losing leverage in trade talks. The Seahawks’ commitment to Wilson hasn’t stopped the trade chatter; Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported that Wilson wants to at least “explore his options” this offseason.
Wilson’s camp has made it clear that he hasn’t (and probably won’t) demand a trade; rather, he simply wanted to explore whether another club might offer him opportunities that the Seahawks cannot. Last February, of course, his agent told the club that Wilson would waive his no-trade clause if he were to be dealt to the Cowboys, Bears, Raiders, and Saints, and in December, a report surfaced indicating that Wilson would approve a trade to the Broncos, Giants, or Saints.
This past season, Wilson missed a handful of games with a broken finger, and he had a sub-.500 record (6-8) for the first time in his career. However, the 33-year-old was still plenty productive, tossing 25 touchdowns vs. six interceptions while adding another two scores on the ground.
Tom Brady Has Not Ruled Out Playing In 2022; Bucs Interested In Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson
You didn’t really think that there wouldn’t be any Tom Brady “un-retirement” stories, did you? Less than two weeks after the legendary passer confirmed he would be hanging up the cleats, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report that the Buccaneers are leaving the door open to a Brady return, and that Brady himself is not ruling out the possibility.
Brady, 44, when discussing the prospect of playing in 2022 on his own podcast six days ago, said, “[y]ou never say never. At the same time I know that I’m very, I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel six months from now” (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
It’s understandable that any retired player, let alone a player who has enjoyed the type of career that Brady has, would start to feel the itch to return to the field as summer draws to a close and the nation starts to turn its attention to Week 1 of the NFL season. Even assuming Brady gets that itch, however, Pelissero and Rapoport hear from sources close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion that chances of a return are “remote.” Still, the Bucs are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back for his age-45 season, and they have made that clear to him.
Florio, in the same piece linked above, speculates that Brady’s retirement announcement could be his way of engineering a graceful exit from Tampa. After all, although the team was able to retain all of its starters from its Super Bowl LV run, tough decisions were always going to have to be made in 2022. As we recently pointed out, nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup in 2021 is eligible for free agency in March, and even without that contingent on the payroll, the club is projected to be barely $5MM under the cap. It could be that Brady realizes his chances of playing through his age-45 campaign — as he had long indicated he planned to do — and still going out on top with an eighth Super Bowl ring would be better elsewhere.
Indeed, no matter how badly the Bucs may want him back, they are going to have to turn their attention to other options at some point. Pelissero and Rapoport write that Tampa Bay is doing “extensive homework” on embattled Texans QB Deshaun Watson and are expected to explore a trade for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. The team has also been connected to 49ers signal-caller (and former Brady protégé) Jimmy Garoppolo. If/when the Bucs make a move to replace Brady with a starting-caliber passer, it will obviously be impractical for them to keep Brady rostered.
At present, the Bucs have not made a roster move with respect to Brady and are projected to carry a $32MM dead money charge for him in 2022 if they move him off the roster. If they designate him a post-June 1 release, they could push $24MM of that total to 2023, and if they place him on the reserve/retired list after June 1, they would be able to accomplish the same thing while still retaining his 2022 rights should he decide he wants to keep playing but for another team. Or, as Florio adds in a separate piece, the team could just keep him on the roster all year, which would result in a $10.545MM cap charge — just $2.545MM more than what the post-June 1 2022 dead money charge would be — and which would allow him to return to the team at any time should he so choose. Presumably, that option would only be in play if Tampa Bay does not replace Brady with a high-level starter.
Interestingly, Florio posits that if Brady does want to play for another club in 2022, that club would be his hometown Niners. Brady reportedly wanted to play for San Francisco before signing with the Bucs two years ago, and with the 49ers boasting a roster that came up just shy of a Super Bowl appearance this year, it stands to reason that HC Kyle Shanahan would be willing to delay the Trey Lance era for one more season if it means giving Brady a chance to get that roster to the promised land. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times agrees that Brady’s preferred destination, should all of this speculation coalesce into something more concrete, would be San Francisco (Twitter link).
Seahawks To Retain HC Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider; Latest On QB Russell Wilson
Surviving Black Monday does not necessarily mean that a head coach or GM will keep his job (just ask Joe Judge). However, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider will officially be retained for 2022. Per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (Twitter link), Carroll and Schneider recently met with owner Jody Allen, and Allen was apparently convinced that retaining her team’s top power brokers was the best course of action.
In fact, it sounds like Carroll’s and Schneider’s status was never really in doubt. Mortensen added that the meeting was the usual end-of-season review with a look ahead to 2022, and that there was no discussion about job security.
That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. It was reported in December that Allen had become “very involved” in the Seahawks’ operation — which was a significant departure from her usual approach and that of her predecessor, the late Paul Allen — and that led to plenty of speculation that a major shakeup could be on the way. But from 2012-20, the ‘Hawks failed to post double-digit wins just once under Carroll and Schneider, and Seattle captured its first Lombardi Trophy during that span, coming just a whisper short of another. The club’s disappointing 2021 campaign, which saw quarterback Russell Wilson miss game action for the first time in his career, does not undo all of those accomplishments.
Now, all eyes will turn towards Wilson. The 33-year-old passer also had a little something to do with the Seahawks’ productive run in the 2010s, but trade chatter and rumors about his desire to leave Seattle have swirled for about a year now. Last week, we heard that the ‘Hawks plan to retain Wilson, and Mortensen’s above-referenced tweet said that “all systems are go” with respect to the QB, though the team wouldn’t say anything different at this point and risk losing leverage in trade talks.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported this morning that Wilson wants to at least “explore his options.” He has not demanded a trade, and he may not make such a demand, but he wants to see if another club might offer him opportunities that the Seahawks cannot. Last February, of course, his agent told the club that Wilson would waive his no-trade clause if he were to be dealt to the Cowboys, Bears, Raiders, and Saints, and in December, a report surfaced indicating that Wilson would approve a trade to the Broncos, Giants, or Saints.
Interestingly, when Carroll left his meeting with Allen, he appeared to acknowledge that a Wilson trade was a possibility. “Whatever is there, we got to exhaust every opportunity for our club and right from the owner, she wants us to take a look at every single opportunity to better the franchise,” he said. “That’s what we do. It’s going to take us some time to put it all together and we have a lot of difficult decisions to make this year.”
Carroll followed that statement, however, by saying, “I love this team. We’ve got the nucleus of a championship right here and we’re going to try to keep that together.”
In other words, Wilson’s future with the Seahawks will, as expected, be one of the top storylines of the offseason.
Seahawks Plan To Keep Russell Wilson
Despite all the speculation, the Seahawks have no plans to trade Russell Wilson this offseason, according to team sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. However, the future of longtime head coach Pete Carroll remains in question.
Wilson went on record this week to reaffirm his loyalty to Seattle and his desire to win more championships for the Seahawks. But, in the past, he has been a vocal critic of the team’s offensive line issues. Just last year, Wilson told the Seahawks that he would accept trades to the Raiders, Bears, Cowboys, or Saints. For now, the Seahawks will pass on any trades with the belief that they’ll iron everything out between now and September.
Win or lose today, the Seahawks will finish with a sub-.500 record for the first time in Wilson’s tenure. Wilson, who missed three games with a broken finger, ranks in the middle of the pack in QBR with a 65.2% completion rate and 22 touchdowns against five interceptions.
Carroll, 70, has no retirement plans and hopes to stay in Seattle, Garafolo hears. Still, it’s not a given that the feeling is mutual. We may know more this week, when top front office officials meet with chairwoman Jody Allen to discuss the offseason ahead.