Matt Calkins: Why Seahawks trading Russell Wilson keeps looking better and better

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Jun 27, 2025

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — There are no banners to show for it, no rings because of it, and no parades on the horizon. But more than three years after it happened, one of the smartest trades in Seahawks history continues to look like one of the most necessary.

It isn't news that in March of 2022, the Seahawks dealt Russell Wilson to the Broncos for two first-round picks and two second-round picks, among other assets. Nor is it news that the former Super Bowl champion quickly declined as soon as Seattle traded him away.

What is news is that Wilson asked the Broncos for a fully guaranteed deal worth around $350 million over seven years, presumably because of the precedent Deshaun Watson set by inking a five-year, $230 million fully-guaranteed deal with the Browns. This is probably close to what it would have taken for the Seahawks to keep him happy in Seattle.

It also would have wrecked the franchise if it happened.

Wilson's initial asking price in Denver became news earlier this week when the ruling of a January collusion grievance between the NFL and the NFL Players Association was made public. An arbitrator ruled in the NFL's favor, but did cite evidence of owners trying to keep down the number of fully-guaranteed contracts following Watson's deal.

Ultimately, Wilson signed for less overall and less guaranteed money after he was traded to Denver — inking a five-year, $245 million deal that assured him $124 million. This upset former NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, who wanted Wilson to cement Watson's precedent for fully guaranteed contracts going forward.

It's a story getting national attention, and likely has a lot of folks looking at that $350 million asking price and saying, "Damn!" But here in Seattle, I imagine the most common one-word response is "Phew!"

It was hard to know what to make of that trade when it happened three years ago, as it is with most trades. Yes, Wilson was hurt the season before, but at 33, he still made the Pro Bowl for the ninth time and was a year removed from throwing a career-high 40 touchdown passes to complement a 105.1 passer rating. Finding a franchise quarterback is perhaps the most difficult task for an executive in the NFL, if not all major American sports. Three years later, the Seahawks are still unsure if they have one, but they are no doubt better off for unloading Russell.

For one, Wilson hasn't played anywhere close to the level he did when he was wearing the blue and green. In 2022, after taking 55 sacks and throwing just 16 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, Wilson finished 27th in the NFL in quarterback rating. He bounced back to some degree in Year 2 with Denver, throwing 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions, but given the 45 sacks (fourth most in the league) and 3,070 passing yards (19th), he still finished 21st in QBR.

This didn't even resemble someone worthy of the contract he signed. It's no wonder Denver coach Sean Payton wanted to get rid of him, which he did after the season. And though Wilson did earn a Pro Bowl nod with the Steelers last year, his numbers didn't improve much. Geno Smith was far more productive for the Seahawks than Wilson ever would have been.

More importantly, there is a core in place for the Seahawks' future. The trade allowed Seattle to pick ninth overall in 2022 and draft left tackle Charles Cross, who has been the only reliable member of the Seahawks' offensive line over the past three seasons. It allowed them to draft fifth overall in 2023 and pick cornerback Devon Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler with first-team All-Pro potential.

And since the Witherspoon selection covered a primary defensive need, the Seahawks were able to use the 20th pick in 2023 on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who surpassed DK Metcalf (now with Pittsburgh) as Seattle's No. 1 receiver last season. Additionally, the Seahawks used their 2022 second-round pick from the Broncos on productive linebacker Boye Mafe (40th) overall, which allowed them to use an offensive selection on running back Kenneth Walker III (41st).

Granted, since then, the Seahawks have made the playoffs just once — when they lost in the first round after a 10-7 season in '22. But there was absolutely no way that signing Wilson to a monstrous contract — or even a contract at half that initial asking price — was going to help this organization.

Without Russell, the Seahawks probably never win a Super Bowl. For that, he'll always have a place here. But the news this week was another reminder: His legacy as a Seahawk is eternal … but his time here was done.