Russell Wilson offered a short and sweet goodbye to Seattle on Wednesday, signaling a proposed trade to send the quarterback to the Denver Broncos was all but official.
Wilson wrote, “SEATTLE, I Love You. Forever Grateful. #3” in a Twitter post one day after the deal with the Broncos was first reported.
[SOCIAL
SEATTLE, I Love You.
Forever Grateful.
#3.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 9, 2022
Wilson, 33, made 14 starts in 2021, missing games for the first time in his 10-year career due to injury. He passed for a career-low 3,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The trade coupled with the pending release of linebacker Bobby Wagner marks the dawn of a new day in Seattle under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
Per ESPN, the Seahawks will receive defensive lineman Shelby Harris, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, two first-round picks, two second-round selections and a fifth-round pick. The Broncos will also receive a fourth-round selection.
Wilson still must waive his no-trade clause and is scheduled to meet with the Broncos before any deal is considered official, the Tacoma News-Tribune reported. ESPN reported that contract considerations — including an extension beyond the two years remaining on Wilson’s existing deal — would be part of the sit-down with Denver that was in the works for more than a week.
As with any NFL offseason trade, the deal cannot be finalized until the new league year begins on March 16.
If Wilson is traded, he will count more than $22 million against the Seahawks’ 2022 salary cap.
NFL Network reported the Seahawks had multiple offers in play for Wilson; however, the Broncos upped their bid to edge Washington, among others teams.
The trade would give Denver its first high-profile quarterback since Peyton Manning retired after winning Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.
Harris, 30, recorded 49 tackles, six sacks and one fumble recovery in 16 games last season with the Broncos.
Lock, 25, threw for 787 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in six games while serving as the backup to Teddy Bridgewater in 2021.
Fant, 24, had 68 catches for 670 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games last season.
–Field Level Media
