Whether he's asked out or not, Wilson seems very upset in Seattle originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The idea that Russell Wilson and the Seahawks aren't getting along has gained a lot more support thanks to a lengthy Thursday story from The Athletic that details the growing rift between the two sides. Forget being on the same page, they may not even be on the same shelf on the bookcase.
While the entire article is worth a read, the basics of it are that Wilson has grown increasingly upset with the organization not giving him more authority over the scheme or personnel, not protecting him better and not putting him in an overall position to achieve his extremely lofty goals. The organization and Pete Carroll, on the other hand, don't want to acquiesce to the quarterback's demands and feel that Wilson views himself a little too highly.
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Now, where this gets weird is whether or not Wilson has actually requested to be traded from the franchise that drafted him in 2012.
Per The Athletic, Wilson's camp has "broached potential trade destinations with the Seahawks" because of his frustrations. The outlet even wrote that "some people around the league think a trade could happen, if not this offseason then sometime in the near future."
However, Adam Schefter later tweeted that Wilson's agent informed ESPN that the QB "has not" demanded to be moved. Schefter added in the same tweet that if Wilson were to go that far, he would only consider a deal that sent him to Dallas, New Orleans, Las Vegas or Chicago. Because of his no-trade clause, Wilson would have the power to shut down a transaction he didn't approve of.
As for whether such a blockbuster could actually occur, longtime NFL writer John Clayton is more than skeptical.
"The relationship is strained but it's not going to change the equation, because if you trade Russell Wilson, all of the sudden you're a six, seven-win team that's going to take years to build," Clayton said Thursday on the BMitch & Finlay show on 106.7 The Fan. "Everybody wants to create some trades that aren't going to happen and this is a trade that's not going to happen."
So, essentially, there are conflicting opinions as to what Wilson's intentions are and where his future could take him, but it sure seem obvious that, presently, he's nowhere near as pleased with how his career is going as one from the outside would assume when looking at his numbers and record.
Locally, the question will naturally become: How could Washington benefit from this?
Well, this could be the exact reason why Ron Rivera is content with patiently trying to solve the Burgundy and Gold's QB problem.
As he told the media earlier this month, he'd certainly want to find Washington's long-term solution at the position as soon as possible, but it's also not "imperative" he does so in 2021. By not hurrying, Rivera gives his team the chance to remain flexible and adjust when unforeseen situations, such as this one involving Wilson, unfold.
Maybe Clayton's statement will prove correct, and nothing concrete will come of this dilemma. If something does, though, Washington could be a squad that pounces, whether that's on Wilson or another passer that could be freed up after any Wilson dust settles.
