For a few offseasons now, Seattle Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson has been the subject of trade rumors. But if you ask Wilson, at least publicly, he wants to remain with the only NFL team he’s ever known, retiring as a Seahawk someday.
If you ask head coach Pete Carroll, he also wants Russ to stick around. And Carroll doesn’t want to go elsewhere either.
Yet, the Seahawks have experienced less-than-ideal results two years in a row. Well, if we’re being honest, the issues likely stem back to when the Seahawks decided to throw the ball at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX, instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch, costing them the game.
Some of these external problems have caused several to wonder whether there’s more going on internally in Seattle behind closed doors.
Still, the Seahawks have no plans to trade Russell Wilson this offseason according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
Related: Predicting NFL playoff bracket and Super Bowl winner
Who blinks first? Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll, or the Seattle Seahawks?
It appears this organization is deadset on heading down the crash course toward a 2023 divorce. After having the first losing season in Russell Wilson’s career, the team doesn’t even have a first-round pick to help turn the roster around. On the bright side, they do have a bit of salary cap space to work with, as they’re projected to have roughly $25 million to spend this offseason, should they desire.
Pete Carroll on the other hand will be 71 years old next season. Who knows how much longer he wants to coach? If the Seahawks can’t start their year off with Russ cooking again, Carroll might just call it a day. Or, be forced to.
There have already been disagreements over how the offensive scheme should be operated. Their own Super Bowl-winning QB can’t see eye-to-eye with the head coach. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for a deep playoff run next season. Chemistry issues will only likely get worse.
Related: Top NFL free agents of 2023 – Lamar Jackson, and Deebo Samuel lead the charge
Some will quickly say, winning cures all, and to an extent, they’re right. But all it takes is one divisional loss to set everyone on edge again. Both Carroll and Wilson are competitors to the very end. While it’s been a great pairing for 10 seasons, it’s probably time for some change. Simply swapping out defensive coordinators isn’t likely to make a drastic difference when issues persist on offense.
For what it’s worth, Russell Wilson has a no-trade clause in his contract, giving him more control over these matters than most have. For that reason alone, it may be easier to move on from Pete Carroll instead. Either way, the Seahawks’ future is very much up in the air.
Neither Wilson nor Carroll will likely be around in Seattle five-to-eight years from now. If the organization is forced to pick between one or the other, they should probably stick with the franchise quarterback who’s given his team his all since 2012.
