Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has bounced around the league quite a bit since he accidentally forced his way out of playing for Seattle after the 2021 season. If (and that is a big if) he finds a new team this offseason, the organization would be his fifth in six years.
That is a precipitous fall for a player who might have been trending toward making the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he was leading the Seahawks to the postseason nearly every year. Now, he wouldn't even be the best quarterback on nearly any team he played for.
That is, except for every team except one that happens to reside in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals are dealing with a new drama in that presumed 2026 starter Jacoby Brissett is not participating in current offseason workouts as he wants his contract revamped. He has a good point, too.
Former Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson might be forced to play for the Arizona Cardinals
Under his current deal, the quarterback could make as much as $9 million, but only $1.5 million of that sum is guaranteed. Meanwhile, Arizona signed Gardner Minshew this offseason to battle with Brissett for QB1 duties, and Minshew is guaranteed north of $5 million in 2026. The deal seems unfair to Brissett, who kept the Cardinals from completely falling apart last season.
All of the above could open the door for Arizona to seek yet another quarterback to try to get QB1 reps instead of Minshew. If the Cardinals are displeased with Brissett's semi-holdout, Arizona could let the quarterback go and save nearly $6 million.
Would Russell Wilson cost less than that were he to sign with Arizona? Maybe. His contract with the New York Giants in 2025, his only season with the team, paid him $10.5 million, and he is certainly in no better bargaining position than he was last offseason.
He will be a backup wherever he goes, except for the random team or three, such as the Arizona Cardinals, where the former Seattle Seahawks star could maybe earn starting duties. Some team is likely going to take a chance on Wilson, and the Cardinals are so poorly run that they might be the one.
Russell Wilson will always be a fascinating former member of the Seahawks. He helped lead the team to its first Super Bowl victory and was one of the faces of the franchise for a decade. Should he sign with the Cardinals, however, there is nothing complicated about how 12s would feel. Beating Wilson twice a season would be great because it would mean beating an NFC West rival twice, too.
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