Over a year ago, the sporting world was rocked by quite a bombshell trade. The Seattle Seahawks had done the unthinkable and traded away quarterback Russell Wilson. After years of odd drama and a growing rift, both sides got the clean break they were looking for. Wilson was of course traded to the Broncos, but Denver might not have been his new NFL home.
League insider Ian Rapoport was recently on former Barstool Sports personality Joey Mulinaro’s podcast where he dropped an interesting bit of information. Rapoport admitted he was convinced at the combine Wilson was going to be traded to either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Washington Commanders.
Juiciest rumor @RapSheet has heard at the combine the last few years?
How about an NFL world where Mr. Unlimited was….an Eagle 👀
Full ep 🫡: https://t.co/ygp7cmg5EP pic.twitter.com/J41h50wtDX
— Joey (@JoeyMulinaro) April 7, 2023
Ultimately, Wilson had the final say with his no-trade clause, and wanted to be a Bronco instead of an Eagle. It’s been well documented that Philadelphia was interested in acquiring the services of Wilson, but apparently it was much closer than we might have realized.
It’s safe to say the Eagles have quietly realized they dodged a potential bullet. Philadelphia stuck with quarterback Jalen Hurts who helped guide them to Super Bowl LVII, while Wilson and Denver cratered. Perhaps things might have been different in Philadelphia for Wilson, playing in another run-first offense. But perhaps this was a reason he didn’t want to go to the City of Brotherly Love.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman went on to win Executive of the Year this past season, but he absolutely wouldn’t have claimed this honor had Wilson played in Philly the way he did in Denver. In this sense, Wilson probably saved Roseman from himself.