This offseason has been all about the quarterback position for the Chicago Bears. They’ve been involved in pretty much every quarterback trade or rumored trade, but nothing has connected for them.
But Chicago’s interest in trading for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is something that has caught fire over the last couple of weeks with rumors that if Wilson were to be traded, he’d wind up with the Bears.
Chicago has made it clear to Seattle that they’re interested in trading for Wilson. But while the Seahawks have been listening to those calls, they haven’t exactly been engaging teams like the Bears, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Where we are,” he said, “it doesn’t seem like anything is imminent.”
As our Free Agency Frenzy coverage begins: Will the #Seahawks trade QB Russell Wilson? pic.twitter.com/5jvl2T9ExW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2021
Wilson named the Bears as one of four potential trade destinations, but the Seahawks have to be willing to make a deal. And while there has been tension between Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll, it’s hard to imagine them parting ways.
That is, barring a monster of an offer. To trade Wilson, Seattle would have to eat $39 million in dead money against the salary cap and move toward the 2021 season without a quarterback.
“As far as where we are, several teams have called Seattle about him, including the Chicago Bears,” Rapoport said. “If Russell Wilson is going to be traded, you’d imagine Chicago would be in the mix. They currently do not have a starting quarterback for 2021. They’re exploring all options, so that makes sense.
“No one I’ve spoken with has said that Seattle has actually engaged in any of these talks. It doesn’t seem like they’ve negotiated actively as far as a trade of Russell Wilson. They have listened, but they haven’t reciprocated.”
With the Dallas Cowboys re-signing Dak Prescott, the Las Vegas Raiders seemingly committed to Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints closing in on extending Jameis Winston, that would bring Wilson’s destination list down to one team: the Bears.
If Seattle has any intention of trading Wilson — and taking advantage of a desperate Chicago team — they’re running out of time.
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