Seahawks trading Russell Wilson would be clinically insane

Seahawks can’t give away a talent like Russell Wilson

It’s all about value. At this point in his career, Wilson has enormous projected value. Let’s look at what the quarterbacks mentioned above did from age 32 to the time they were traded or released. Joe Montana threw for just under 16,000 yards, 39 percent of his career total, and 101 touchdowns, 37 percent of his total. Manning threw for 30,314 yards, 42 percent of his total yards, and 233 scores, 43 percent of his career total.

Documenting Brees’s number is practically cheating, but I’ll do it. From age 32, he’s thrown for a ridiculous 42,150 yards, 54 percent of his career numbers. His 312 touchdowns from age 32 account for 57 percent of his career scoring passes. Meanwhile, the 7,000-year-old Tom Brady has thrown for 48,125 yards, 64.5 percent of his career total, and his 344 touchdown passes account for 63.5 percent of his career numbers.

Let me remind you, and especially the Seahawks front office, that Russell Wilson won’t be 32 until November. Wilson is coming off two of the three best statistical years of his career. What would a first-round pick get you? Let me clarify, *the* first pick overall. You’d assume the Hawks would have used the pick on a quarterback, unless you thought Brett Hundley was starting. And nobody thought that was going to happen.

In 2018, that first selection could have been Baker Mayfield, or possibly Sam Darnold – yecch. Josh Allen might have worked out okay; Josh Rosen, not so much, right, Cardinal fan? So unless Pete Carroll and John Schneider valued Lamar Jackson far higher than any other team in the league, the Hawks would likely have been hosed on the deal. Yes, the financial numbers would have looked better. Sure, the Hawks would have spread those savings to improve the team in other areas, but how did that work out in New York or Arizona? The numbers on the scoreboard wouldn’t have looked nearly as good as the cap number.

Let me reiterate; this would have been a terrible idea in 2018. In 2020, it’s even worse. Perhaps not let’s-go-to-Coachella-without-a-mask terrible, but close. Eventually, yes, it’s possible Russell Wilson will be capping his amazing escapes with pinpoint touchdown passes for some other team. But for the sake of all that is right, holy, and good, that day needs to be far in the future.