The tension between the Seattle Seahawks and franchise quarterback Russell Wilson could reportedly get even worse next offseason if the team doesn’t contend for a Super Bowl title in 2021.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported an update to the situation Friday on Get Up after Wilson previously denied requesting a trade:
“There’s a feeling around the league that if Seattle is not at least on the cusp of a Super Bowl this year that this could get very ugly once again. Because there are two issues that happened a few months ago. Russell Wilson was straight-up frustrated because he felt his name was floated in trade rumors even a few years back. And then this offseason, he had ideas to try to get the Seahawks back in the Super Bowl. He wanted to present them to the team, he was calling them up, saying, ‘Hey, what are we doing here, there?’ He felt like that was met with resistance. That they weren’t hearing him. So there was straight-up consternation.
“Since then, Pete Carroll has had several productive talks with Russell Wilson. Wilson was involved in the hiring of [offensive coordinator] Shane Waldron. He talked to Waldron during the process; he likes some of the moves they’ve made in free agency. So Seattle has tried to meet him halfway. Things are much better now, but his contract is very much tradable next year, where the dead money on the salary cap gets cut in half to $26 million.”
The seven-time Pro Bowl selection said Thursday his comments were “a little blown out of proportion” as he vented frustration about not being able to compete for a championship.
“I did not request a trade. I’ve always wanted to play here,” he said. “The reality is, I think calls were getting thrown around and this and that, and I think that’s just the reality, but at the end of the day the real reality is that I’m here, and I’m here to win, and I’m here to win it all.”
The 32-year-old added that any issues have been worked on and now he’s ready to move forward.
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“So I think the reality is, is that we had to have a lot of conversations,” Wilson said. “We had some great ones along the way. It made our relationship stronger, really—me and Pete and John. … The greatest thing about it all is that I’m here. I’m ready to roll. I’m more focused than ever.”
Wilson is under contract through 2023 as part of a four-year, $140 million contract.
