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Well that’s something. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports that the Seattle Seahawks have been taking calls from teams interested in a trade for quarterback Russell Wilson — a far cry from, say, the Houston Texans’ refusal to even entertain the idea of dealing Deshaun Watson.
Russini corrected a fan on Twitter who quoted her appearance on the Pat McAfee Show as having suggested the Seahawks were actively shopping Wilson, clarifying that the situation is different from what was described. The Seahawks are not calling around and seeking offers, but they are listening. We don’t know the content of those conversations or what sort of offers might be made, or even who could be calling.
Still, that’s intriguing. Especially considering Wilson has a no-trade clause, and that Russini’s ESPN colleague Adam Schefter confirmed a report that the New Orleans Saints are one of the few teams on Wilson’s list of approved landing spots.
Now, to be totally clear: we don’t know if the Saints are one of the teams trying to trade for Wilson. Just because he might have interest in joining them doesn’t mean they’d look to sell the farm in a bid to add him. Wilson has not yet requested a trade like Watson did, but his decision to share the specific, hypothetical trade partners he’d sign off on speaks for itself.
But it would make sense for the Saints to explore this avenue, especially since New Orleans already has his approval. Drew Brees is expected to announce his retirement this offseason. Taysom Hill didn’t show enough in his limited starts to be named the heir-apparent. Jameis Winston, the other Saints backup, is not under contract. Wilson is better qualified than both of them put together and would be an ideal successor for Brees.
It still feels like the most realistic scenario is for Wilson and Seattle to settle their differences and continue to win together, while the Saints find a way to bring Winston back for a training camp battle with Hill. Wouldn’t it be fun to see a blockbuster Wilson trade go through, though?