Chicago Bears fans don’t really care about the why at this point. All they know is the information they heard. Adam Schefter, the best insider in the business confirmed it. Russell Wilson would like to play for the Bears in the event he ends up being traded by the Seattle Seahawks. Those words were actually written. Then Schefter repeated them later on ESPN 1000.
What some people can’t seem to wrap their heads around is why Wilson would want to go there. Sure they have a good defense but it’s getting on the older side. The Bears offensive line had its struggles in 2020 and their best offensive weapon, Allen Robinson, is in danger of leaving as a free agent. Not to mention both their GM and head coach are on the hot seat. Why would he willingly insert himself into such a situation? Jeremy Fowler of ESPN provided an answer.
It’s about the big picture.
People need to remember the reality here. Wilson has his ring. He’s earned his millions of dollars. The focus moving forward is on his legacy. How will he be viewed when he eventually retires? Will it be as one of the all-time great quarterbacks? The way things have gone thus far, it doesn’t appear that is the case. Most people agree Wilson is great, but he’s not talked about nearly as often as others like Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson.
Part of that could be his placement in Seattle. Despite leading that team to the playoffs every year, he feels they haven’t done enough to help maximize his potential greatness as a passer. They’re still obsessed with establishing the run and haven’t invested nearly enough resources in his protection. This is what has led to the growing tension between the two sides.
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If they won’t let him realize his full potential, he’ll go to a team that will. Chicago is thirty for a good quarterback. It’s a city that has turned athletes into icons for many years. A pure sports town. He could become a god there.
Russell Wilson is worth the effort but is it possible?
That depends on how determined he is to get out. As of right now, he hasn’t officially requested a trade from Seattle. There is still hope the two sides can work something out. However, if the Seahawks don’t acquiesce to some of his demands, then all bets are off. He will start to push his way out of town to one of the four teams he’s listed. With a no-trade clause in his contract, he has the ability to dictate those terms.
From the Bears’ point of view? Word is Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy are prepared to put on the full-court press to make Russell Wilson a reality. They’ve been ringing the Seahawks constantly. Thus far Seattle hasn’t been willing to discuss anything. That is no surprise. Nothing is likely to happen on this front until closer to the draft. If no resolution is found by then, the team will have to make a difficult choice.
Chicago has a fair chance if the door is opened too.
Dallas seems intent on keeping Dak Prescott. He’s younger than Wilson and they’d keep their draft picks. New Orleans would have to jump through way too many salary cap hoops to make a Wilson deal even feasible. Las Vegas makes some sense. However, trading Derek Carr for Wilson would be an upgrade but also rob them of any real hope of fixing the root problem of their team, which is the defense.
It really feels like the Bears have a shot here.