Why Russell Wilson should not ever be traded by the Seahawks

Over the past two months, there has been so much talk and so many rumors swirling around the relationship between Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks organization.  The biggest spike in talk came after Wilson’s agent released four teams Russell would be open to being traded to the Cowboys, Raiders, Saints, and Bears.

But I think so much of the offseason talk was just smoke.  Obviously, the offense had issues toward the end of the 2020 season, and whether it stemmed from a chasm between Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson we may never know.

What we do know is that it appears the two have come together and fixed whatever differences they may have had.

Why Seahawks shouldn’t move Russell Wilson

Unless there’s a situation like is happening now in Houston and Russ forces his way out of Seattle, the Seahawks should never voluntarily shop him.  He’s a franchise-changing player and I believe the team would cease to be a perennial contender without him at the helm.

Wilson’s Value to Team

Russell Wilson had an immediate impact on the Seahawks after he was drafted in 2012.  Sure, he was playing alongside one of the greatest defenses ever to grace the field, but Seattle’s offense was ranked 23rd in scoring in 2011 and jumped to 9th in 2012.

Since that season, Seattle’s offense has ranked top 11 in scoring each season with the exception of 2016, when they ranked 18th.  Wilson has led the Seahawks to a winning record in each of his 9 seasons, and the team has made the postseason in 8 of those seasons.

The Seahawks have also not finished worse than 2nd in their own division throughout Wilson’s career.  The Seahawks’ historic defense had been nearly dismantled by 2016, so I would give most of the credit to Wilson for carrying the Seahawks to solid seasons each year over the past 4 seasons.

Never mind Wilson’s personal achievements through his first 9 seasons (which have been a top-3 all-time performance for a single player).  While he will likely enter the Hall of Fame one day based on personal accolades, Russ is the reason this team has remained competitive each season and the team would have to enter rebuild mode if they moved on from him.  I think this is the wrong move for a team that has talented players on both sides of the ball.

Pete Carroll is getting old, Tyler Lockett was just paid big money to remain in Seattle for the next 5 seasons, and the defense looks like it could make a deep playoff run should Shane Waldron’s offense work out.  If everything comes together, I believe that this team is as good now as it was in 2014, when it went to the Super Bowl and nearly won.

Russ is a competitor, and he alone takes the team to the next level, whether that means making the playoffs when they shouldn’t or winning a Super Bowl.  Trading Wilson would show that the front office doesn’t believe in the team that they’ve gone nearly all in on.

Russell Wilson has changed Seahawk football, and the organization ought to recognize this and keep him happy in Seattle.  If they can, this team will remain competitive until the day Russ hangs them up.