NFL Trade Rumors: Russell Wilson not ruling out move to Commanders
Prepare yourselves, Russell Wilson and Washington Commanders fans. Rumors are swirling that the Seattle Swahawks' franchise quarterback isn't "against" leaving Washington State for Washington DC. The rumors started after a picture was posted to social media of Wilson and a player from Washington.
According to Audacy, Wilson and his wife Ciara posed with Washington Commanders defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and who is presumed to be Allen's spouse. Of course, the internet saw the quarterback fraternizing with another team and instantly unleashed a salvo of speculation.
I’m sure everybody will be super rational about this. https://t.co/SFnw6gy2C2
Usually, an idea like this would not have much traction and would simmer down. However, on Monday, a freshly chopped log was added to the fire. According to Kevin Sheehan of The Team 980, Wilson does at least have a modicum of interest in landing in Washington.
"I did talk to a few people in Vegas," Sheehan said. "And the only thing that I will tell you is something that I feel confident in, based on the sources, and that is that Russell Wilson is not against being traded to Washington."
Why would Russell Wilson want to join the Washington Commanders?
The Washington Commanders have had two name changes in recent years. Since 2016, the team has only made the playoffs once (in 2020), losing to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs. In the season in which it happened, the team won an incredibly soft NFC East division with a 7-9 record.
Kyler Murray deleting all Cardinals content from his Instagram, Jimmy G likely getting traded, Russell Wilson exploring options outside Seattle...It appears things are going well in the NFC West!
Perhaps that is what the quarterback finds interesting about the NFC East. 2020 showed how fragile the division is. The top quarterback in the division is Dak Prescott, who lost in the first round of the playoffs this season. Put simply, for the Seahawks quarterback, a jump to an easier division could sound like a day at the beach.
Over the last few years, the NFC West has been the best division in football. The Los Angeles Rams have made it to the Super Bowl twice; the San Francisco 49ers, once. Even with the Seahawks' No. 3 under center, Seattle have arguably had the worst roster in the division over the last couple of seasons, especially on defense.
In the quarterback's mind, moving to the NFC East could put him on a level playing field. Once there, he alone could elevate the team to the top of the division and back to prominence in the playoff picture. Will he ultimately choose that path to travel down? The Commanders would need to give an arm and a leg to make it happen. Will anything materialize?