Chicago Bears fans are desperate for any updates on Russell Wilson. It shouldn’t be a huge surprise. An actual franchise quarterback listed their team as one he’d like to play for. The other teams don’t seem like strong contenders at the moment. So the odds actually look better than impossible. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have reportedly made him their primary focus and are willing to make a strong offer to get him.
The big question is what could prevent this from happening? It isn’t another team swooping in with a better offer. At least not as things stand. The major concern for Bears fans is whether or not Wilson and the Seahawks let cooler heads prevail and decide to reach common ground. That would keep the seven-time Pro Bowler in Seattle.
How likely is this to happen?
That depends on who you ask. Some people have said the divide between him and head coach Pete Carroll is significant. Others say it’s overblown. One person who understands the situation Seattle is going through is Jeff Darlington. The ESPN insider has strong ties to the New England Patriots. He saw a similar rift begin to form between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick years ago. Yet they managed to work through it for a long time.
What’s stopping the Seahawks from doing the same thing? Darlington explained on The Rich Eisen Show that there might be a vital key missing. A proper mediator. New England owner Robert Kraft was able to go between Brady and Belichick for years, keeping their egos in check for the betterment of the team. Seattle doesn’t have a Kraft. Their original owner Paul Allen sadly died of lymphoma in 2018. Now his sister Jody took over as owner and she isn’t known for being hands-on like Kraft is.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Russell Wilson unlikely to get the concessions he’s looking for
While Seattle did hire a new offensive coordinator the quarterback was in favor of, they’ve resisted giving him any more say in the direction of the offense. He wants greater investments in the offensive line and a more pass-oriented approach that will allow him to thrive. Carroll hasn’t seemed willing to give him that. He is a coach steeped in the tradition of running the football and playing great defense.
That is what won Seattle their Super Bowl in 2013. Except the league has changed since then. This is the era of the great quarterbacks. The Seahawks have one but seem unwilling to build the team around him. They’re still trying to recreate the formula they had eight years ago. It hasn’t worked. All the while Russell Wilson continues to take a lot of hits.
Things have reached a crisis point.
It sounds like being able to pull the train back before it loses control becomes less likely with each passing day. Seattle has openly listened to calls on Wilson with the Bears more than open to making a major offer. While the Seahawks don’t want to lose their quarterback, they don’t seem scared at the prospect of it. Unless that mediator emerges soon, the impossible may soon happen.