[brid autoplay=”true” video=”790569″ player=”23231″ title=”3%20reasons%20why%20the%20Seattle%20Seahawks%20should%20be%20concerned%20heading%20into%20the%202021%20NFL%20season” duration=”105″ description=”The NFL offseason has not been uneventful in the Pacific Northwest with drama raging between the Seattle Seahawks and star quarterback Russell Wilson.This was brought to a climax earlier in the spring when Wilson took to the media to criticize the organization. Specifically, he’s not happy about the lack of pass protection front of him. Other rumors suggest that a rift exists between the Super Bowl quarterback and longtime head coach Pete Carroll.” uploaddate=”2021-05-28″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/790569_t_1622221717.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/790569.mp4″]
This past offseason in the Pacific Northwest was defined by drama between the Seattle Seahawks and franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.
Coming off yet another banner campaign, Wilson seemingly isn’t happy about the lack of pass protection in front of him. It led to some overstated trade rumors involving the Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
While everything seems to be going alright on the Wilson front heading into Seattle’s preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders Saturday evening, other issues have popped up.
We already know that star safety Jamal Adams has not taken part in team drills during training camp. The All-Pro is not happy about the direction of contract extension talks. In reality, things don’t seem to be going too swimmingly on that end.
On the offensive side of the ball, star left tackle Duane Brown has joined Adams in “holding in” during training camp — meaning that he’s not taking part in team drills as the Pro Bowler looks for a new deal.
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Already outspoken about the lack of pass protection in front of him, Wilson seemingly just threw a shot in the direction of the Seattle Seahawks in talking about Brown’s contract situation.
“Not having Duane Brown out there is a pretty significant deal because I think he’s one of the best left tackles in the game, there’s no arguing it,” Wilson said recently, via ESPN. “So we definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We’ve got to figure that out because we need Duane Brown.”
Brown, 35, is entering the final season of the three-year, $34.5 million extension he signed with Seattle back in July of 2018. Despite some concerns over his knee, the four-time Pro Bowler has started all 53 games in which he’s appeared since the Seahawks acquired him in a mid-season trade with the Houston Texans back in 2017.
What do Russell Wilson’s comments about Duane Brown tell us?
Since entering the NFL as a third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks back in 2012, Wilson has been sacked a league-high 394 times. He also leads NFL quarterbacks in being sacked a whopping 146 times over the past three seasons.
The seven-time Pro Bowler touched on this earlier in the year.
“Like any player, you never want to get hit. That’s the reality of playing this position. Ask any quarterback who wants to play this game. I think that the reality is I’ve definitely been hit. I’ve been sacked almost 400 times, so we’ve got to get better,” Wilson told reporters back in February. “I’m frustrated (about) getting hit too much. I’m frustrated with that part of it. At the end of the day, you want to win.”
With his star left tackle unhappy and entering a contract year, we’re pretty darn sure Wilson is not too excited. He’s set to face the likes of dominating pass rushers such as Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt, Nick Bosa and Aaron Donald in the NFC West. That has to play a role here, too.
Seattle Seahawks could be at a tipping point with Russell Wilson
Last season’s loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wildcard Playoffs led to some major frustration on the part of Wilson.
“The reality of professional sports is things happen, things change. I’m not sure how long I will play in Seattle. I think hopefully it will be forever. But things change, obviously, along the way,” Wilson said following the loss.
Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll have attempted to smooth things over since then. He’s in training camp and preparing for the 2021 season.
With that said, struggles on the part of the Seahawks could expedite the future Hall of Famer’s departure from the Pacific Northwest. Seeing two of his star teammates embroiled in contract stalemates with the Seahawks’ organization only adds another layer to this. Another early playoff exit or missing the postseason altogether could potentially mean that Wilson will be calling another NFL city home in 2022.