12th Man Rising
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Latest Seahawks offseason ranking is seriously flawed. Here’s why.

By Todd Vandenberg

Jun 7, 2022; Renton, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and quarterback Drew Lock (2) return to the locker room following minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 7, 2022; Renton, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and quarterback Drew Lock (2) return to the locker room following minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Seahawks made the right move with the Wilson trade

Both statements about Carroll are true. Barnwell left out that Wilson has been a very good QB and is 33 years old. Not exactly 70, but not young for a player, either. That’s hardly the end of the line for an elite quarterback, but 33 isn’t when QBs typically enter their peak, either. Even the best in league history have seen their performance drop significantly around the age of 37 or 38. I’m not arguing that Russ won’t still be great five years from now. He may finally get an MVP award; or at least a vote.

But far more quarterbacks are done around Wilson’s age. Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Dan Fouts were both done at age 36. For every Tom Brady that plays at the top of his game until the age of 1,000, there are a dozen QBs like Joe Namath and Terry Bradshaw whose careers were over by the age of 35. Wilson may be great, or he may be done. That’s the nature of football.

As for the 70-year-old Carroll, he’s not likely to take too many shots to the head – unless, of course, Cody Barton is slinging the ball around. The annals of the NFL aren’t exactly stuffed with guys coaching past 70, but it’s a pretty sweet group. George Halas, Marv Levy, Bill Belichick, Brice Arians – you’d win a few games with those guys on the sidelines.

Yes, we’ve often written about who could step in for Carroll if he parted ways with the Hawks. The problem is that changing the entire coaching philosophy isn’t exactly a quick fix. Nor is it needed, as Seattle has had one losing season in 10 years. We’re not talking about a Rich Kotite death spiral here.

The real issue here is money, as is often the case in the NFL. Wilson’s current contract, a mere $140 million total, expires at the end of the 2023 season. His cap hit for this season is $24 million, per spotrac.com. That accounts for 11 percent of Denver’s total, roughly the same percentage as it did for Seattle.

If Wilson plays up to the expectations of the Broncos (and Barnwell), he’s going to ask for a huge extension. Make that will ask. The buzz in Denver is that good ol’ Number 3 is looking for $50 million per year. Good luck with that, Broncos fans!

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