As the Aaron Rodgers saga in Green Bay continues to drag out, it’s easy to forget that another accomplished NFL quarterback appeared to be on the trading block for a hot second.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson made comments during the offseason that were critical of the team’s offensive line play, which started speculation that he wanted out of Seattle ASAP.
The chatter out of the Pacific Northwest has died down since that firestorm, and it doesn’t look like Wilson is going anywhere ahead of the 2021 season.
There might be another window to acquire Wilson next offseason should the Seahawks’ protection continue to falter in 2021, but there might be a couple of teams kicking themselves for not pushing the issue when they had the chance.
Two teams in particular will regret not pursuing Wilson more aggressively to at least make Seattle ponder the possibility of moving their star quarterback.
"I'm here to win and I'm here to win it all."
🎙 @DangeRussWilson pic.twitter.com/UC9IuxeZ4O
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 10, 2021
Chicago Bears
Many folks will argue that the Bears are the winners of the offseason anyway due to their aggressive move to trade up for Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Fields certainly appears to have a bright future, and performed impressively against NFL level competition in the SEC and Big Ten.
He might even be an upgrade on Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles and Andy Dalton already, which will help the Bears prospects in 2021.
Even with all that said, the player the franchise hopes Fields will become might never match the level of play Russell Wilson has consistently demonstrated throughout his career.
The Bears are not exactly stacked with offensive weapons, and Wilson has been doing more with less for many years.
His ability to extend the play would have made Allen Robinson better immediately, and guys like Anthony Miller and Darrell Mooney would likely have also taken a leap with the veteran.
If Aaron Rodgers is eventually traded from the Packers, Chicago’s inability to finalize a deal with Seattle for Wilson will be even more glaring.
Pressure is a Privilege. pic.twitter.com/iHCMYam7qH
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) June 9, 2021
Washington Football Team
The Washington Football Team also took a solid step towards addressing their glaring need at quarterback this offseason.
They signed Ryan Fitzpatrick, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, to a one-year, $10 million contract.
It usually works in the opposite way, but the older Fitzpatrick has gotten, seemingly the better he is.
He started the season well before Tua Tagovailoa took over the starting job, but came in to save the day for Miami when Tagovailoa struggled.
His ability and willingness to push the ball down the field will be a nice addition for Washington in 2021.
While Fitzpatrick will be a boon to the Washington offense, he’s not on the level of seven-time Pro-Bowler Russell Wilson.
The fact of the matter is, Washington’s defense, and particularly their front seven, is young and elite already.
Head coach Ron Rivera figures to continue to develop guys like Montez Sweat and Chase Young, and the team won’t have to pay them right away.
Wilson does have a $32 million cap hit in 2021, which will only go up in future years.
But the Washington roster is already nicely stocked with talent at other positions at low costs, and he would’ve been the missing piece to launch them into contention in 2021.
NEXT: 2 Julio Jones Stats Titans Fans Should Be Excited About
