Carlos Dunlap on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson: 'He's Here to Stay'

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson appears committed to staying the Pacific Northwest for at least one more season.

Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap held a Zoom conference with members of the Seattle media Tuesday afternoon to discuss his return to the Pacific Northwest. While Dunlap covered a variety of topics in his presser, one nugget of information he divulged stands out from the rest, perhaps shedding some light on the murky future of the Seahawks' most prized player: quarterback Russell Wilson.

In the buildup to free agency, Wilson and his camp voiced their displeasure with Seattle's front office—particularly about an alleged lack of commitment to building a quality offensive line to protect the star quarterback and involve him in personnel decisions. As weeks went by, these glimpses of frustration blew up into a mountain of rumors claiming the Super Bowl champion was eyeing a potential exit from the only place he's ever called home in his NFL career. 

At the height of this drama, the Seahawks reportedly fielded calls on Wilson and turned down multiple trade offers from the Bears. Since then, these talks have died down. Once free agency began, they made several moves to help beef up their roster with hopes of appeasing Wilson. It appears they've succeeded in doing so, with the 10-year veteran taking to social media to celebrate several of the team's most recent transactions.

The homie!!! @TDLockett12 Let’s go!!!
You deserve it all! Love you bro! 💪🏾🙌🏾

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 31, 2021

On Tuesday, Dunlap reaffirmed the notion the feud between Wilson and the Seahawks has been squashed—for now, at least. While he didn't outright ask the quarterback about the specifics of his conflict with the organization, he was adamant he would only return to Seattle if Wilson was set to be under center for the Seahawks this fall. 

"I did ask him if, obviously, he was gonna be with us," Dunlap said. "Because if I'm coming back, I'm coming back because I see him as my quarterback."

The veteran edge rusher made it clear he desired to "run it back" with the core he was inserted to at the midway point last season, Wilson included. But he had to make sure Wilson was committed to the team, and the quarterback, by Dunlap's account, gave a definitive answer to his question. 

"He told me he's with us and he's here to stay."

While Dunlap says that's not how Wilson worded it verbatim, it's how he interpreted his message. Therefore, this may be far from a confirmation Wilson's completely moved past his issues with the franchise and vice-versa. However, it does seem he's at least prepared to play out the 2021 season in a Seahawks uniform. Whatever happens from that point forward is a mystery—one that likely won't be resolved or addressed until around this time next year.

But if the reports of Seattle's unwillingness to deal Wilson this offseason weren't enough to finally put these rumors to bed for some time, perhaps the fact he's telling his teammates he's staying put in 2021 will. At this point, it would appear safe to consider the chances of a trade happening this year non-existent.