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The Only NFL Players With No-Trade Clauses

February 27th, 2021 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s fairly common for disgruntled NFL players to give their teams a short list of acceptable trade destinations. However, it’s still quite rare for players to hold contractual veto power over a trade. Currently, there are only nine NFL players with a no-trade clause in their deals, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets: 

▪️ Drew Brees, QB (Saints)
▪️ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL (Chiefs)
▪️ Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers)
▪️ Jimmy Graham, TE (Bears)
▪️ DeAndre Hopkins, WR (Cardinals)
▪️ Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs)
▪️ Deshaun Watson, QB (Texans)
▪️ J.J. Watt, DL (Cardinals)
▪️ Russell Wilson, QB (Seahawks)

The Chiefs, who represent 25% of the list, furnished LDT with a NTC as a part of his contract restructure. Historically, there haven’t been many offensive lineman to secure the clause. However, Duvernay-Tardif had a bit of leverage in 2020 when the Chiefs needed extra cap room. He was scheduled to count for nearly $9MM, $6.45MM of which was comprised of base salary. Instead, he converted some of that money into a signing bonus over the remaining three years and came away with a perk typically reserved for quarterbacks.

Watson and Wilson are among the QBs who can block trades. They’re both putting it to use, albeit in different ways. Watson wants out — even after finally meeting with new head coach David Culley – and he’s steering himself towards a small group of teams, including the Dolphins and Panthers. Wilson, meanwhile, says that he doesn’t want to get traded and doesn’t expect to get traded. But, if the Seahawks do shop him, he wouldn’t mind joining up with the Bears, Cowboys, Saints or Raiders. In beating out several other teams for Watt, the Cardinals included the clause in the star defender’s contract.

Josh Gordon To Play In Fan Controlled Football League

February 27th, 2021 at 2:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Gordon‘s most recent attempt at NFL reinstatement did not end with him playing during the 2020 season. The former All-Pro will try his hand at something quite different soon.

Gordon will play in the recently launched Fan Controlled Football league, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The NFL rescinded Gordon’s reinstatement officially last month. Previously, he was on track to return late last season as a Seahawk. The Seahawks re-signed the oft-suspended pass catcher last year, doing so after claiming him on waivers in 2019 and using him in five games that year. A suspension ended Gordon’s 2019 season as well.

Fan Controlled Football, with which ex-Gordon Browns teammate Johnny Manziel is affiliated, is a seven-on-seven league that allows fans to call plays. Gordon will play for the Zappers, with whom Manziel plays, according to the team’s owner.

Gordon and Manziel played together on the 2014 Browns, though neither played much that season. Brian Hoyer quarterbacked the Browns for most of the 2014 campaign, and a 10-game Gordon suspension — which was an unfortunate harbinger of things to come — shelved him for most of the year as well. During Manziel’s second and final NFL season (2015), Gordon served a season-long suspension. But they are evidently set to reunite in one of the more unusual football leagues to emerge.

The Seahawks kept Gordon on their roster after his reinstatement effort failed. He will be an NFL free agent on March 17. Nearing 30 and still suspended, Gordon would not stand to generate too much interest on the market this year.

Russell Wilson Not Expecting To Be Traded; QB Clashing With Pete Carroll?

February 25th, 2021 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks have run into a seminal issue with their franchise quarterback, with trade destinations coming out Thursday. At this point, Russell Wilson does not expect the Seahawks to trade him, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, though multiple NFL executives believe the team will make the decorated quarterback available.

This rift between Wilson and the team stems from several factors. A central component in Wilson’s frustration is Pete Carroll‘s insistence on an offense that features the run more than most NFL attacks do, and The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks report Wilson and Carroll have clashed over the past several months on both the Seahawks’ philosophy and personnel (subscription required).

Following a midseason stretch that featured seven Wilson turnovers in two losses, the Seahawks reverted to a more balanced offense. They then finished the regular season with wins in six of their final seven games to post a 12-4 record — the team’s best mark since 2014. Prior to the turnaround, however, Seahawks coaches dismissed Wilson’s ideas for how to repair a suddenly ailing offense, according to The Athletic. This led to Wilson storming out of a meeting.

Wilson fell well off the MVP pace on which he started the season, after he threw 26 touchdown passes in Seattle’s first seven games, and closed the year with an 11-for-27 performance against the Rams in a wild-card loss. After the season, Wilson expressed dissatisfaction with the Seahawks’ offensive line plan publicly. But that came after the nine-year veteran went to Carroll on this matter — one that had bothered him for years. Carroll’s insufficient response to Wilson’s O-line-related concerns, in the 32-year-old passer’s eyes set off the public commentary that has led to trade rumors, per The Athletic.

The Seahawks have not put a tremendous amount of resources into their offensive line in recent years, and Wilson has taken 394 sacks — the most by any quarterback through his first nine seasons. QBs, of course, bear responsibility for sacks alongside offensive linemen.

Past flirtations with trades or other quarterbacks have pushed this situation to this point as well. The Seahawks’ trade talks with the Browns in 2018 — however brief they were — led to Wilson’s 2019 extension containing a no-trade clause. GM John Schneider being on-hand for Josh Allen‘s pro day factored into Wilson’s situation as well, and The Athletic adds that Schneider’s fascination with Patrick Mahomes would have led to the Seahawks taking him had he fallen to them at No. 26 — an unrealistic scenario based on the future MVP’s pre-draft rise — in the 2017 draft. The Cardinals and Saints were prepared to draft Mahomes ahead of the Seahawks.

Beyond the four teams that Wilson’s agent mentioned today as trade destinations his client would approve — the Bears, Cowboys, Saints and Raiders — The Athletic’s report indicated Wilson’s camp discussed trades to the Dolphins and Jets with the Seahawks. Considering both teams’ draft capital and their respective links to Deshaun Watson, it makes sense they would be connected to Wilson as well. It is certainly notable that they were omitted in Mark Rodgers’ Thursday comments, however. The Seahawks have yet to approach Wilson about any potential trades, Fowler notes.

Wilson’s $35MM-per-year contract runs through the 2023 season. It would tag the Seahawks a record $39MM in dead money were they to trade Wilson before June 1, per Spotrac (on Twitter), with a post-June 1 trade defraying $26MM of the hit to 2022. To avoid such a scenario becoming the lead trade in a seismic offseason for quarterback movement, the Seahawks and Wilson may have some fence-mending to do in the coming weeks.

Seahawks’ Russell Wilson Open To Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, Bears

February 25th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Russell Wilson has not demanded a trade, agent Mark Rodgers tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). However, the quarterback has told the Seahawks that if a trade were to be considered, he would be willing to join the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, or Bears. Wilson, armed with a no-trade clause, will not consider any team outside of that group. 

The Jets, Dolphins, and Panthers have been heavily linked to Deshaun Watson and would surely be interested in Wilson. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t make the cut. Ditto for the Broncos, Patriots, 49ers, and the Washington Football team, who were runners-up for Matthew Stafford. Of course, it’d be difficult to imagine Wilson in San Francisco, anyway.

Given the Bears’ recent struggles, their inclusion on Wilson’s short list is a bit surprising. Ditto for the Raiders, though they could parlay their current top two quarterbacks — Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota — into additional offensive support for Wilson. The Saints would be especially intriguing for Wilson, though Drew Brees has yet to make his retirement official. Meanwhile, Wilson-to-the-Cowboys would spin this year’s quarterback carousel out of orbit and send Dak Prescott elsewhere.

Wilson, 32, has been the face of the Seahawks for years. He’s also been sacked at an alarming rate. Recently, Wilson expressed frustration with the Seahawks’ inability to protect him. As a pro, Wilson has been sacked 394 times with 40+ sacks in each season since his rookie year.

The Seahawks furnished Wilson a brand new deal less than two years ago. Today, his average annual value of $35MM/year makes him the third-highest paid player in the NFL. So far, the Seahawks have rejected all trade inquiries on him, but that hasn’t stopped teams from trying.

Seahawks Re-Sign Alex Collins

February 24th, 2021 at 7:51pm CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks have re-signed RB Alex Collins, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter). Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times says it will be a veteran salary benefit deal (Twitter link).

The low-level commitment to Collins makes sense, as the 26-year-old back is still trying to reestablish himself in the league. Seattle selected Collins, an Arkansas product, in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He was waived prior to final cutdowns in the summer of 2017, and the Ravens quickly scooped him up. At the time, it looked like a coup for Baltimore, as Collins piled up nearly 1,000 rushing yards on a healthy 4.6 YPC average in 2017 and entered the 2018 season at the top of the club’s RB depth chart. But a 2018 foot injury cut his season short, and his arrest in the 2019 offseason prompted the Ravens to drop him. He spent all of 2019 and a good chunk of 2020 out of football, ultimately joining Seattle’s taxi squad in November.

The ‘Hawks dealt with injuries to their RB room throughout the 2020 campaign, which created something of an opportunity for Collins. In three games (one start) for Seattle following his promotion, Collins totaled 18 carries for 77 yards and two TDs, and as of now, he is the most experienced back under contract. Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde are both eligible for unrestricted free agency, while the club is also rostering Rashaad Penny — who played just three games last season — and fellow youngsters Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas.

The team understandably hopes to keep Carson, but even if they do, Collins could represent a quality complementary piece at a discount rate.

K.J. Wright Not Open To Discount To Stay With Seahawks

February 24th, 2021 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks kept K.J. Wright two years ago, and he played out his third contract as the team’s longest-tenured player. It looks like the veteran linebacker will make a concerted effort to maximize his value this year.

Ahead of his age-32 season, Wright may only have one more chance at a notable NFL payday. If the Seahawks want to keep Bobby Wagner‘s longtime linebacker sidekick around, they will need to outbid other suitors.

“I do way too much on the football field to take a discount,” Wright said during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show (via ESPN.com). “It makes absolutely no sense. If you want to win all these championships and look good on Sundays, you’ve got to compensate your guys that are making plays.”

Last month, Wright said he would be eager to return to Seattle on a fourth contract. But it is clear he will not make a financial sacrifice to do so. Wright graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall off-ball linebacker last season; he was the only player to post double-digit totals in tackles for loss (11) and passes defensed (10). He has started 140 of the 144 career games he has played since the Seahawks drafted him in the 2011 fourth round.

“That would just be a beautiful story, if I could just ride it all out with the Seahawks,” Wright said. “That’s some legendary-type stuff. I believe it would be a great investment for Seattle to keep me because as you’ve seen, since I’ve been here, we’ve been nothing but awesome — always making it to the playoffs, winning our division, so they know how much I want to be here.

“But at the end of the day, I get it. They’ve got to clear some space to make things happen, so they’ve got to get busy.”

Seattle has Wagner’s $18MM-per-year contract on its books through 2022. And the team took Jordyn Brooks in last year’s first round, potentially signaling a Wright exit. Wright signed a two-year deal worth $14MM in 2019. The Seahawks have barely $4MM in cap space — a figure that ranks 18th as of Wednesday — and have Shaquill Griffin and Chris Carson joining Wright as free agents-to-be. Russell Wilson lobbying for offensive line upgrades may factor into this equation as well.

Wright would join Lavonte David and Matt Milano as the top linebacker free agents. The Buccaneers will do what they can to keep David, though they have plenty of high-priority UFAs, while the Bills are prepared to let Milano hit the market.

Mike Iupati Retires From NFL

February 22nd, 2021 at 12:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Mike Iupati is hanging up his cleats. The longtime NFL offensive lineman is retiring from the game, he told Peter Harriman of the Spokesman-Review in Idaho.

“My body was telling me it was time to close the door,” Iupati said, echoing the sentiments of many a retired NFL player. “My goal was to hit ten years,” the Idaho product declared, and he ended up beating that by one season. The 17th overall pick of the 2010 draft by the 49ers, Iupati ended up playing his whole career in the NFC West. After his rookie deal expired he landed a big five-year, $40MM contract from the Cardinals, although the final season of that deal was later voided.

He signed with the Seahawks in 2019, and spent the past two seasons in Seattle. He started 15 games in 2019 but was limited by injuries to only 10 this past campaign. The retirement means more significant change is coming to the Seahawks’ shaky offensive line, an O-line that Russell Wilson is apparently already unhappy with.

He’ll wrap up his career having been a full-time starter at every stop, starting 139 games in total. It was a decorated one, as he made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams in eleven seasons.

Lightly recruited out of high school with only a few college offers, he came a heck of a long way. All of us here at PFR wish Iupati the best in retirement!

Seahawks Offered LeBron James Tryout

February 19th, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • A year prior to the Seahawks‘ run of playoff appearances, they reached out to a notable ex-wide receiver about potentially joining a then-Tarvaris Jackson-quarterbacked team. LeBron James confirmed that, in addition to the Cowboys contacting him about a tryout, the Seahawks did the same during the 2011 NBA lockout. Then in his second year as Seattle’s HC, Pete Carroll shipped James a custom Seahawks jersey along with the workout invite. “I would have tried out, but I would have made the team,” James said, via The Athletic’s Christopher Kamrani and Bill Oram (subscription required). “I don’t mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I’d have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I’d have tried (out), but I would have made the team.” Some close to James, 26 during the lockout, convinced him not to go through with NFL workouts. The NBA legend received significant recruiting interest as a wideout at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron but quit the sport ahead of his senior year.

Browns Lead NFL In Salary Cap Carryover

February 18th, 2021 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, the NFL Players Association announced (via Twitter) the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2021 season. Effectively, teams are able to rollover their unused cap from the previous season. So, when the 2021 salary cap numbers become official, they can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that individual club’s official cap for 2021.

This follows news from earlier today that the NFL has raised its salary cap floor to $180MM for 2021. This total could clue us in to the salary cap maximum, which could end up landing north of $190MM. The salary cap was $198.2MM for the 2020 campaign.

As the NFLPA detailed, the league will rollover $315.1MM from the 2020 season, an average of $9.8MM per team. The Browns lead the league with a whopping $30.4MM, and they’re the only team in the top-five to make the playoffs. The NFC East ($68.8MM) and AFC East ($65.3MM) are the two divisions will the largest carryover amounts.

The full list is below:

  • Cleveland Browns: $30.4MM
  • New York Jets: $26.7MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $25.4MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $23.5MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $22.8MM
  • New England Patriots: $19.6MM
  • Denver Broncos: $17.8MM
  • Washington Football Team: $15.8MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $15.2MM
  • Detroit Lions: $12.8MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $10.8MM
  • Houston Texans: $9.2MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $8.3MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $8.1MM
  • Chicago Bears: $7MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $5.7MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $5.1MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $5MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $5MM
  • New York Giants: $4.8MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.6MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $4.5MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $4.3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $4.1MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $3.8MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $3.7MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $3.6MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $2.3MM
  • San Francisco 49ers: $1.9MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $1.8MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $956K
  • Baltimore Ravens: $587K

More Teams Contacting Seahawks On Russell Wilson

February 11th, 2021 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid a complex quarterback trade landscape, the Seahawks continue to receive calls on a player who was not expected to be part of it coming into the offseason.

As Russell Wilson continues to voice dissatisfaction about his situation, more teams have called the Seahawks about their quarterback’s trade availability, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link). Thus far, the Seahawks continue to rebuff teams’ interest in the perennial Pro Bowl passer.

Despite the QB trade market including Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson (and others, like Sam Darnold and Marcus Mariota, on the fringes), Wilson has become the biggest-name player to be linked to a prospective trade. However, the Seahawks have shut down inquiries at each turn. That said, they are not exactly thrilled about their nine-year quarterback’s recent run of comments centering around the state of his offensive line.

Wilson has wanted a bigger say in personnel matters for years, per Pelissero. The Seahawks included Wilson in their offensive coordinator search, which ended with Rams assistant Shane Waldron coming north to replace Brian Schottenheimer, and have him under contract on a $35MM-per-year deal through 2023. That contract contains a no-trade clause.

The Colts and Bears have been the teams primarily linked to Wentz; both were in on the Stafford sweepstakes. The Jets, Dolphins and Panthers have been the teams in the center of a potential Watson derby, and Washington, Denver, New England and San Francisco were also in on Stafford. (Though, the 49ers can safely be ruled out of any Wilson discussion, should this developing saga progress to the point of offers.) Other teams would likely come to the table for Wilson. At 32, Wilson is only a few months younger than Stafford, despite entering the league three years later. But the Seattle QB1 would certainly drive more interest given his accomplishments and consistency.

While Wilson has not requested a trade like Watson has, this long-stable situation certainly qualifies as one to monitor in a busy offseason at the game’s premier position.

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