SAN JOSE, Calif. — Most teams wouldn’t have traded Russell Wilson when the Seattle Seahawks did.
Wilson had just turned 34 after the 2021 season, which isn’t young in the NFL but it’s usually not the end for a quarterback. Wilson threw 25 touchdowns and six interceptions during the 2021 season, which would be his last in Seattle, with a 103.1 passer rating. He was still a high-end starting quarterback. Even if the Seahawks knew Wilson was slowing down, teams don’t trade quarterbacks who made nine Pro Bowls in their 10 seasons with the franchise and helped it win a Super Bowl. Decision makers are too worried about getting that wrong, and getting fired.
Seattle wasn’t scared. The Seahawks are one of the few teams with the conviction to make a trade like that, because they’re patient from the top down. John Schneider has been the team’s general manager since 2010. He doesn’t trade Wilson without feeling confident about his job security.
And the Seahawks wouldn’t be in Super Bowl LX without that Wilson trade.
It was one of the biggest trades in NFL history, as the Denver Broncos traded many players and picks for Wilson. They got a lemon. Wilson flamed out fast in Denver, and then hit the journeyman phase of his career. Seattle used the picks and players from the trade to bolster the roster, and the freedom at quarterback to chart a new path that led them to an NFC championship.
It probably won’t lead to other teams making bold decisions with accomplished quarterbacks one year early instead of one year too late. The NFL generally doesn’t operate that way. But Seattle did.
What did the Seahawks get in the Russell Wilson trade?
The Wilson trade was massive. Seattle sent Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round draft pick to Denver for first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, second-round picks in 2022 and 2023, a 2022 fifth-round pick, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris and quarterback Drew Lock. The Seahawks got some core players for a future NFC championship roster from it:
2022 first-round pick, ninth overall: OT Charles Cross
Cross has started 62 of a possible 68 regular-season games at offensive tackle. He was the 23rd-ranked offensive tackle in the NFL this season, and has developed into a reliable protector for quarterback Sam Darnold.
2023 first-round pick, fifth overall: CB Devon Witherspoon
Witherspoon was instantly one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He has made the Pro Bowl in all three of his NFL seasons. He had 13 tackles in Seattle’s two playoff games. He was the top-graded cornerback in the NFL this season according to Pro Football Focus.
2022 second-round pick, 40th overall: DE Boye Mafe
Mafe has 20 career sacks and is a part of the Seahawks’ edge rotation this season. He had two sacks during the regular season and played in both of Seattle’s playoff wins.
2023 second-round pick, 37th overall: OLB Derick Hall
Hall has 10 career sacks, just two this season after posting eight during the 2023 season. He appeared in both of Seattle’s postseason games.
2022 fifth-round pick, which became DE Tyreke Smith and WR Dareke Young
The Seahawks traded the fifth-round pick from Denver for fifth- and seventh-round selections (158th and 233rd overall). Those picks became defensive end Tyreke Smith and receiver Dareke Young. Smith didn’t work out. He played just one game with Seattle and hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2023. Young is still on the active roster and appeared in both playoff games this postseason, mostly as a member of a strong special teams unit. He made a crucial fumble recovery in the NFC championship game against the Rams.
Fant, Harris and Lock
Fant and Harris have moved onto the Bengals and Browns, respectively. Lock is still on the team as the primary backup quarterback, but attempted only three passes behind Darnold this season.
Out of that trade the Seahawks got an elite cornerback, very good left tackle, two effective members of a pass rush rotation, a core special-teams player and a backup quarterback. That’s an unbelievable haul for Wilson, who has mostly struggled since leaving Seattle.
The Seahawks wouldn’t be in the Super Bowl without the players from that trade. Not to mention that they might not have Darnold either.
Seahawks make franchise-changing move
Wilson made it easier on the Seahawks by letting it be known he’d be OK playing elsewhere as the team hesitated on another long-term deal. Still, Seattle could have tried to work it out, as most teams do.
Instead they decided the time was right to cash in their chips, even if it meant going into the unknown at quarterback.
“When it became evident that Russell was interested in playing elsewhere, we used that opportunity to explore the market, allowing us to acquire three quality players, tremendous draft capital, and create salary cap flexibility,” Schneider said in a statement when the Wilson trade was made. “We have a clear vision about the direction of this team, and this is an exciting time for our organization.”
Geno Smith was the quarterback for two seasons, but when contract issues started to come up with him, they traded Smith as well to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Seahawks replaced him with Darnold on a three-year, $100.5 million deal. Darnold had 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns in the regular season, and his 346-yard, three-touchdown game in the NFC championship game boosted Seattle to Super Bowl LX.
The Seahawks might not have been in a position to get Darnold if they hadn’t traded Wilson. The cap space created by trading Wilson also helped shape the roster over the past few years, including being able to pay Darnold.
Not every big trade works out as well for a team as the Wilson trade worked out for Seattle. Wilson was a big part of Seattle winning the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. He might be a big part of the second title as well.
