With just two years remaining on his contract, there is little to no chance of an extension looming for quarterback Russell Wilson, league sources said, and another contentious offseason is likely ahead for the future Hall of Fame passer and a Seahawks organization that may be primed for a rebuild.
The prospect of a blockbuster trade remains very real, given the issues between the sides and sources said there could also be significant changes coming to the Seattle organization as well, with the team at a crossroads. Sources said ownership has not been pleased with the results of the past few seasons. While coach Pete Carroll, 70, who has final say on all football matters, has long made it clear the idea of a rebuild without Wilson holds no appeal to him, the team has few other significant trade chips that could kickstart the type of rebuild that others in the organization believe might be in order.
Wilson was open to being dealt to certain specific teams last year – he has a no trade clause as part of his current contract – and nothing has changed in 2021 to alter that. The team’s results on the field continue to lag well behind the success they enjoyed early in Wilson’s career, the offense is still in need of major repair in terms of personnel and from a schematic standpoint, Wilson continued to endure a heavy physical load (missing games due to injury for the first time in his career) and they do not look like a team that is particularly close to turning it around in short order, especially given their void of draft pick capital.
Of all of the issues discussed between the player and the team last offseason, none of them trended in a positive direction during this lost 2021 season, and things have not progressed in any manner. The same questions Wilson had about the direction of the franchise, quite obviously, remain with the Seahawks hitting a new low point of this Wilson/Carroll era with a 5-9 record and assured of a losing season. Seattle’s last losing season was 2011, prior to Wilson’s arrival.
There were numerous teams very interested in Wilson a year ago and that will remain the same in 2022. Which direction the Seahawks choose to go remains to be seen, but securing Wilson beyond this current contract is basically a non-starter at this point, and selling him on the team’s immediate future will be difficult at best, whether the team does alter its coaching staff or not.
KVSP