Russell Wilson and the Seahawks relationship at a crossroads

Russell Wilson addressed his displeasure with the Seahawks offensive line on Tuesday. Wilson rightfully doesn’t like dropping back and getting hit by defensive players. I don’t blame him for being “frustrated” – his word, not mine – because while Russell Wilson holds on to the ball too long way too much, he also gets hit more than he should.

So the question should be asked: Has the Seahawks and Russell Wilson relationship started to come undone?

Seattle currently has one really good offensive linemen and that is left tackle Duane Brown. Right guard Damien Lewis was good for a rookie in 2020. But after that? Left guard is always an injury risk, center Ethan Pocic was good early in 2020 after transitioning from no position in particular and then was not good in the last part of the season and right tackle Brandon Shell was decent but got hurt too.

The sad part is that the Seahawks 2020 offensive line to start the year may have been the best unit Russell Wilson has gotten to play behind since he was drafted by Seattle in 2012. It could be that while the Seahawks thought Wilson would be good when they took him in the third round in 2012 they never knew he would be as good as he has become.

Maybe the team simply wasn’t ready to foresee a financial issue in the future where they would need to protect a quarterback as good as Wilson is. Seattle has spent more on defense and on Wilson and at receiver and hasn’t done enough on the offensive line. They haven’t developed the players on the O-line they have chosen in the draft (or maybe they just made bad choices) and, besides Brown, have just pieces together to form an offensive line.

Russell Wilson’s comments

But Russell Wilson help a Zoom meeting for reporters on Tuesday and issued the following

"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. But at the same time, it’s part of the job and everything else. 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. I’ve got to find ways to get better, too…I’m frustrated (with) getting hit too much. I’m frustrated with that part of it. At the end of the day, you want to win."

Now, there is nothing that Wilson said there that is crazy talk. But 12s aren’t used to Wilson being anything but team-first. To hear him voice complaints, especially amid rumors that Seattle might have entertained calls about trading Wilson, might signal that something deeper is afoot.

Here are the questions. How frustrated is Russell Wilson now and how much more so will he be in two or three years when Brown is near retirement and Seattle hasn’t spent salary on top-end offensive linemen because Seattle doesn’t have the money to do so? How does general manager John Schneider approach Wilson’s comments?

And lastly, what if Seattle did trade Wilson (and Wilson agreed to the trade, of course)? Russell Wilson has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls but he wasn’t the reason they got there. The defense was. Maybe, and only maybe, Wilson can’t lead Seattle to another one because he isn’t good enough. Possibly he is, but there is always the chance he isn’t. Then shouldn’t long-term Seattle make the decision to trade Wilson for the betterment of the future?