Russell Wilson changes Instagram profile picture in possible attempt to silence trade rumors
Russell Wilson's future is one of the biggest dominos that will fall this offseason, and his decision will impact the league one way or another. The nine-time Pro Bowler has given his all to the Seattle Seahawks franchise, but they've only been able to win one Super Bowl during his time with the team.
Wilson recently made headlines by changing his profile picture on Twitter and Instagram. He removed the profile pictures of him in a Seahawks uniform. His bios don't include anything about the team either. That caused alarm bells to sound in the media, questioning whether Wilson was quietly requesting a trade.
The star quarterback must've been tired of all the speculation, as he changed his Instagram profile picture Friday to a picture with him in a Seahawks uniform once again. Although his bio still doesn't include any mention of the franchise, the move could potentially quiet trade rumors for the time being.
I appreciate Russell Wilson changing his profile pic on Instagram to a Seahawks one so we can shut down the Twitter profile pic rumors lmfao it's so dumb. https://t.co/HnocwOhbWL
Russell Wilson's Twitter profile picture is still a picture of him and his family, not him in a Seahawks uniform. That shouldn't be a cause for trade rumors, however.
As countless individuals have pointed out on social media, Wilson's deceased father was a massive inspiration for him. Wilson and his wife Ciara recently released a children's book titled "Why Not You?"
A trade involving Wilson could still happen within the next month. But given his long-standing history with the franchise, a social media cleanse never felt like the way he'd say goodbye to the fanbase that's given him everything.
Russell Wilson isn't guaranteed to be on the trade market
Apart from his social media changes, the trade talk surrounding Wilson has slowed down. It's still publicly unknown where the 33-year-old and Pete Carroll stand in their relationship.
But NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport appeared on the Pat McAfee show on Friday and stated his belief the Seahawks won't move on from Wilson because they don't know what better options are out there.
What are you hearing abaht Russell Wilson??
"Until Seattle has a better option for them to compete next year I just don't see them trading him.. I don't know what QB gives them a better chance to win" ~@RapSheet
#PMSLive https://t.co/XYk6WEzqsg
Carroll is 70, and likely doesn't want to undergo a complete rebuild at this stage in his career. But right now, the Seahawks' roster seems to be lacking championship-pieces. That's especially true on the offensive and defensive lines.
However, one imagines that Russell Wilson and DK Metcalf are theoretically good enough to overcome many of those weaknesses and keep Seattle a competent, borderline competitive team.
This year's quarterback draft class is weak compared to those from the last five years, meaning teams might not be sold on relying on the draft to pick up talent. Additionally, more quarterbacks choosing to stay put than initially thought could be enough to entice the two sides to set aside their differences and revisit the issue next offseason.