The smoke coming out of Seattle regarding Russell Wilson’s frustrations is beginning to show some fire. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback had expressed his frustrations this offseason with “getting hit too much.”
Russell’s frustrations led to reports that he wanted out of Seattle. Former teammate Brandon Marshall added that Russell was “trying to figure out how to move on in a classy way” and Dan Patrick cited a source that said Russell’s “current situation is unsustainable.”
Thursday, a well-sourced report came out in The Athletic with a three-person byline of Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks. In it, it confirmed initial reports that Russell wasn’t just simply blowing off steam, but that discussions of actual trade destinations occurred and the Raiders were a potential destination.
“Wilson and Carroll have won at least nine games in each of nine seasons together. They have made the playoffs every season but one, won a Super Bowl and lost another. But the Seahawks haven’t reached the NFC Championship game since 2014, and Wilson’s frustration has escalated to the point that his camp has broached potential trade destinations with the Seahawks including…the Dolphins, Jets, Saints and Raiders.”
Russell is thinking about his legacy. And in his mind, Pete Carroll’s game plan and the Seahawks’ inability to protect him are keeping him from reaching greater heights.
Some sources in the report say this is just Russell trying to save face and not taking responsibility for his own failings.
Whatever the reason, it sounds like Russell is serious about making a change. And Pete Carroll appears to be serious about not changing the way he approaches things to accommodate him. So, Russell is exercising that which is in his control. And that’s introducing the idea of trading him.
Russell has a no-trade clause in his contract, which is why he would make his acceptable trade destinations known when the idea was broached. Whether it leads to the 32-year-old QB being moved now, soon, or ever is another story.
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