There are few similarities between the National Football League and the Mafia, but one is the fact that both professional sports and organized crime are cuthroat businesses.
For weeks now, the drama around Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has escalated from being publicly frustrated with the offensive line to telling Seattle which teams he would waive his no-trade clause for.
One such team, the Chicago Bears, is seemingly about to do it’s best impression of the infamous Don Corleone. According to Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, host of “The Herd,” the Bears are trying to make an offer the Seahawks can’t refuse.
“I’m told the Chicago Bears are trying to make a move on Russell Wilson and trying to create a move that is so good Seattle can’t say no."
— The latest from @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/gohWppaxSg
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 12, 2021
For Chicago to make this kind of move to pry Wilson away from the Pacific Northwest would require a Herculean effort, but it would be worth it from the Bears’ perspective. The Bears haven’t had a franchise/Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback since Sid Luckman hung up his leather helmet in 1950.
While the desire for Chicago is obvious, it doesn’t make a lot of sense why the Seahawks would be on board, no matter what the trade package entails. For starters, Chicago only has the No. 20 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and with Wilson as their quarterback their future first-round picks will never be high.
Not to mention the Seahawks would be sending Wilson to a conference rival . . . one who is scheduled to visit the Seahawks at Lumen Field this year. Sending Wilson away only for him to return and potentially humiliate the franchise in their own building could potentially land Pete Carroll and John Schneider in the unemployment line.
The biggest hold-up in any trade scenario would be Seattle acquiring a competent quarterback in exchange, something Chicago does not have to offer. Cowherd theorizes the Seahawks could go and make a move for Jets quarterback Sam Darnold after moving Wilson, but this is a gamble to put it nicely.
The consensus for Darnold has been sympathetic, with an understanding he was in a terrible situation in New York and still has potential. But this speculation is just that . . . speculation. By all observable measures, fair or unfair, Darnold has been a poor quarterback thus far in the NFL.
It is understandable the Seahawks might be frustrated at Wilson themselves in regards to how he has handled the offseason, especially considering his poor play the last two months of the season contributed to putting the team in this situation as well. But Schneider and Carroll need to think long and hard if they really want to move the best player in franchise history in his prime over frustration.
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