Russell Wilson

Denver Emerging As Premier QB Destination

March 5th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Ely Allen

We wrote a bit earlier today on the Broncos being among multiple AFC teams who “have trade compensation lined up with the Packers,” in relation to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Well, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Denver has emerged as a prime location for many of the league’s veteran quarterbacks looking for a potential change of scenery.

The Broncos recently hired former Packers’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to replace Vic Fangio, who failed to accomplish a winning season in three years with the Broncos. The former Green Bay staffer represents an obvious and strong connection for Rodgers. Should Rodgers decide to move on from the Packers, having a play-caller that he’s familiar with could add some allure to the Mile High City. Another intriguing aspect that could bring a star quarterback to Denver is the addition of former Vikings’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Kubiak just helped Kirk Cousins turn in one of his best seasons in Minnesota.

Hackett and company inherit an impressive roster posed to perform. The defense is comprised of veterans like outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, safety Justin Simmons, defensive end Shelby Harris, and cornerback Ronald Darby. There are a number of free agents that Denver would like to bring back like cornerbacks Bryce Callahan & Kyle Fuller, defensive back Kareem Jackson, inside linebacker Josey Jewell, and outside linebacker Malik Reed. Even if they fail to bring some of those names back, the Broncos saw impressive seasons last year for youngsters like cornerback Patrick Surtain II, linebacker Baron Browning, defensive end Dre’Mont Jones, and safety Caden Sterns. The list of defensive players above may not overwhelm you with stardom, but, together, the Broncos defense ranked third in the league in points allowed and eighth in the league in yards allowed.

In addition to a brand new offense and stacked defense, Denver boasts a nice array of young offensive weapons. An impressive receiving corps is led by veteran 26-year-old Courtland Sutton, young star Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick, who has broken out a bit over the past two seasons. The Broncos also have two talented, young receiving tight ends in Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. Any quarterback looking to join in on the fun would potentially have the benefit of a two-headed rushing attack that was 79 yards short of a combined 2,000-yard rushing season. Running back Javonte Williams enjoyed a healthy dose of carries in his rookie season, and there is mutual interest in bringing back Melvin Gordon.

Rodgers is obviously a name to keep an eye on as the decision on his future in Green Bay looms on the horizon. He has said that he will let the Packers know of his intentions before the franchise tag deadline so they can figure out how to deal with free agent wide receiver Davante Adams. In addition to Rodgers, though, keep an eye out for Denver to make moves on other quarterbacks searching for greener pastures. Russell Wilson has long been rumored to be interested in moving on from Seattle, and Deshaun Watson is still searching for a new home.

Whether Rodgers, Wilson, Watson, or some other under-the-radar name, look for the Broncos to make a move for a star quarterback. If they are able to find the right fit, the move could bring them into contention for what could easily turn into the toughest division in football.

Commanders Send Seahawks ‘Strong’ Russell Wilson Offer

March 4th, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

March 3rd, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

February 24th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

February 14th, 2022 at 4:33pm CST by Ben Levine

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

February 13th, 2022 at 8:23am CST by Rory Parks

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

January 16th, 2022 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Parks

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

January 9th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Latest On Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll

January 2nd, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

After an offseason in which Russell Wilson‘s long-term Seattle future suddenly became cloudy, the 10th-year quarterback suffered his first major injury. And he has not played to his usual standards upon return. The Seahawks will finish below .500 for the first time in his tenure.

Wilson is signed through 2023, though the events of this past offseason figure to put him back in trade rumors fairly soon. The decorated passer made an interesting comment regarding his Seattle status ahead of Week 17 as well.

“I know you guys asked Bobby [Wagner] about ‘Could this be your last game?’ this and that and all that. I know for me personally, I hope it’s not my last game,” Wilson said of the prospect Sunday is his last home game as a Seahawk, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “But at the same time, I know it won’t be my last game in NFL. So I’m just focused on the day and getting better today. And so that’s my focus. That’s my goal. I love this city, and I love this moment. I love these guys.”

Wilson, 33, offered this response unprompted, closing out 2021 with more uncertainty in Seattle. The Seahawks have some leverage with Wilson, having signed him to a four-year, $140MM extension in 2019. Wilson also holds a no-trade clause. Unlike Aaron Rodgers, Wilson did not stage a holdout this year. But the Seahawks are 5-10 and, barring a major trade, will not have a first-round pick in April.

Wagner’s comment about his Seahawks future centered around his $20.35MM cap number in the final year of his contract. The team is, however, projected to hold more than $55MM in cap space — a top-10 figure leaguewide. But, after the Seahawks entered this past offseason after a 12-4 season, they have bigger questions about their future a year later.

Pete Carroll‘s status may be somewhat in question, given this disappointing season coming after a slew of Wilson offseason headlines, but the 12th-year Seattle HC signed an extension barely a year ago. Carroll is locked up through 2025. The 70-year-old coach is also not viewed as ready to step away on his own accord, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. While this is Carroll’s first 10-loss season at any level since his first Jets slate in 1994, Breer adds ownership is not pleased with where the Seahawks football operation stands presently.

After Wilson listed the Raiders, Bears, Cowboys and Saints as teams he would approve a trade to, the Broncos, Giants and Saints appeared on a new list of sorts during the season. Wilson did call the initial report including these new teams a non-story. Nevertheless, how the Seahawks proceed will easily be one of the most fascinating situations to monitor entering 2022.

Indeed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says there is a “leaguewide feeling” that Wilson and Carroll will not be together next year. That’s not particularly surprising in light of everything we have heard so far, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, Schefter’s report — which includes somewhat vague language — could be interpreted as a renewed attempt by Wilson’s camp to force Seattle’s hand. After all, it was Schefter to whom Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, released the statement last year that Wilson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a handful of teams, which is what precipitated the Bears’ efforts to acquire the seven-time Pro Bowler and the rampant chatter about his future.

One way or another, Florio believes the ‘Hawks will make a decision on Carroll before deciding how to handle the Wilson situation.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Latest On Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

December 12th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

We already expected the Russell Wilson trade rumors to swirl in the upcoming offseason, just as they did earlier this year, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is helping to fan those flames before the calendar flips to 2022. Earlier this week, independent reporter Jordan Schultz said that the Seahawks’ franchise QB would consider waiving his no-trade clause for the Broncos, Giants, and Saints (Twitter link), and Rapoport’s sources have confirmed that report.

Underscoring the trade chatter that began in earnest in February was the fact that Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, told the Seahawks that, if the team were to consider a trade, Wilson would be open to the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, or Bears. The Cowboys and Bears have since addressed their QB situations, and while it’s unclear what direction the Raiders will go in 2022, the Saints clearly still need quarterback help. Meanwhile, the Broncos and Giants profile as clubs that could seek an upgrade in the coming months, so it stands to reason that Wilson would add those outfits to his list.

As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports recently pointed out, the Giants — who are presently slated to have two top-10 picks in the 2022 draft — have the resources to get a deal done, and the New York lifestyle is one that would appeal to Wilson and his celebrity wife, Ciara. Big Blue is likely to move on from GM Dave Gettleman, ownership is starting to get impatient with the Giants’ poor performance in recent years, and a Wilson trade could immediately propel the team back into contention.

The Broncos, of course, have been connected to both Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson, so GM George Paton would have to think long and hard about Wilson if the seven-time Pro Bowler is indeed open to a move to Denver. However, neither the Broncos nor the Saints presently have the draft capital that the Giants possess.

The latest reporting on the Seahawks’ mindset suggested that the club may be more amenable to moving Wilson in 2022 than it was in 2021, though as Rapoport writes, Seattle is still largely in control of the situation. Wilson is under contract through 2023, and the ‘Hawks could deploy the franchise tag after that if necessary.

On the other hand, Wilson could make life difficult for the team if he decides he wants to leave, and when asked about the Schultz report, he did not offer a denial of any kind. He said simply, “I’m focused on what we’re doing here. Obviously I love Seattle. This is a place I’ve loved every day, every moment.”

The 4-8 Seahawks will attempt to keep their slim playoff hopes alive by taking down the 2-10 Texans this afternoon.

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