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It’s difficult being a Chicago Bears fan, especially when it comes to the quarterback position. After allowing themselves to dream about a potential future with Russell Wilson as their quarterback, the harsh reality of Andy Dalton as QB1 has settled in.
Despite multiple reports from NFL insiders like Adam Schefter that there was still a chance that the Seattle Seahawks could trade Wilson, it seems as if that’s officially been put to bed as we near the 2021 NFL draft.
Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap said he needed assurance that Wilson would return this season before choosing to re-sign with Seattle last month. And he got it.
“I did ask him if, obviously, he was going to be with us, because if I’m coming back, I’m coming back because I see him as my quarterback, and the rest of the team, I want to pick up where we left off,” Dunlap said Tuesday, via ESPN. “And he told me he’s with us and he’s here to stay, and he said, ‘Let’s go, Hawks.’ I’m not going to quote his every word. These words are not his words verbatim, but these are my explanation of how I interpreted what he said.”
The Bears were aggressive in their pursuit of Wilson this offseason, and they even made an offer to Seattle that included three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two players. But even after the Seahawks closed the door on trading Wilson — at least this offseason — Schefter and other insiders kept our slim hopes alive that the Wilson-to-Chicago chatter wasn’t dead yet.
According to Schefter, the Bears haven’t given up hopes of potentially trading for Wilson, despite signing Dalton to a one-year deal in free agency.
Even ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said “Russell Wilson and the Bears are not totally off the board” just a few days ago, which could mean someone or nothing at all.
There was never a real expectation that Chicago would land Wilson. It was always a pipe dream. But perhaps now Bears fans will finally get the closure that they need. Well, at least until next offseason when talks of a Wilson trade could heat up once again.
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