Do the Chicago Bears have a real shot at Russell Wilson? Fans can’t be sure. It is so difficult for them to grasp the idea a team that just went 12-4 would willingly consider trading their superstar quarterback while still in his prime. Yet that is where the Seattle Seahawks sit. There is a clear disconnect between Wilson and the team brass of Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Enough to where the QB expressed openness to being traded.
This is where the Bears come in. Wilson gave the Seahawks a list of four teams that would interest him in such a scenario. Chicago was one. Dallas, Las Vegas, and New Orleans are the others. The Cowboys are already out having just extended Dak Prescott. The Raiders don’t seem interested, being more than content with Derek Carr. As for the Saints? While they might be intrigued, they simply don’t have the money to make such a move feasible.
That would seem to leave the Bears as the sole possibility.
Even then some fans can’t grasp this as real. To them, this screams of a situation that will ultimately end in anticlimax. After all the posturing, Wilson and the Seahawks will finally get together and work out their differences. Then they move forward for another season in 2021. It sounds logical, right? Mike Silver of NFL Network made it clear logic has no place in this. Appearing on the Adam Schein Show, he broke down just how icy the relationship between the two sides has become.
Latest from @MikeSilver on #Seahawks-Russell Wilson feud: Is it solvable? "On paper it is, but it’s not trending that way."
(Via @AdamSchein show) https://t.co/3ey91Hi5cR
— Chris Cluff (@CHawk_Talk) March 10, 2021
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Silver: “Russell Wilson is frustrated enough to be eyeballing other places. That is real. There’s a lot of frustration in that building, too. And that would have to be bridged as well.”
— Chris Cluff (@CHawk_Talk) March 10, 2021
Silver pointed out that a big problem is the ownership situation. Jody Allen isn’t known for being hands-on with the team, which has allowed this matter to fester. Even more interesting? If her brother Paul Allen, who originally owned the team, were still alive then the quarterback would already be gone.
Silver points out Jody Allen "has been more detached" as owner. "A more engaged owner" would have dealt with this by now.
And very interesting take: "If Paul Allen were alive, probably Russell Wilson would already have been traded."
— Chris Cluff (@CHawk_Talk) March 10, 2021
This offers some clarity on where things stand. Seattle may be far more open to a trade than people think. Silver didn’t stop there. While fielding questions on Twitter, he made two interesting revelations. That he expects a resolution one way or another by the start of free agency on March 17th or close to it. The other? That the Bears appear to be the current favorites to land him.
Yes–I believe there will be more clarity in the next week and a half or so. Appreciate you. https://t.co/zR9DCcTgiQ
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 10, 2021
Thanks man. Of the four teams Wilson's agent listed I would regard the Bears as the most likely. But there are a lot of ways this could go, including him staying. https://t.co/t3VyZbaU7X
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 10, 2021
Bears seem perfectly position to snag Russell Wilson
They’re willing to give up the vast package it would take to acquire him. He is interested in playing there and none of the other mentioned teams look like real threats. It seems only two things can prevent this from happening. Either the Seahawks find a way to calm their quarterback down, or they convince him to expand his list to include more teams. If they fail in either venture? It looks like this is the Bears’ race to lose.
Wilson is everything they could hope for. A seven-time Pro Bowler who just finished throwing 40 touchdown passes in 2020. He has never missed a game in his career despite being sacked at least 40 times in every season. If the Bears keep him protected, Russell Wilson should give them a solid window of five to seven years to compete for a championship.
The price is going to be high.
Three 1st round picks are the reported starting point of any deal. That means likely another high pick and maybe a good player as well. It will be a large pill to swallow. Yet this is the reality of the NFL. Either you have a quarterback or you don’t. The Bears have experienced life without one for decades. They’re ready to do almost anything for a taste of the latter.
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