John Schneider: Contract Concerns Led to Seahawks' Decision to Trade Russell Wilson

Schneider and coach Pete Carroll maintained that they didn't intend to deal Wilson, but when it became clear he wouldn't have interest in signing another long-term deal to stay in Seattle, a trade came together quickly with Denver.

RENTON, WA - True franchise quarterbacks rarely get traded in the NFL. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, including the Rams landing Matthew Stafford last March, it's far from common practice for teams to jettison Pro Bowl signal callers in the prime of their career.

But as Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll read through the tea leaves in regard to quarterback Russell Wilson's future, after the franchise endured a difficult 7-10 season in 2021, they knew it was time to make a major change under center. Though they understood it wouldn't be a popular decision with fans, with the blessing of owner Jody Allen, they dealt the nine-time Pro Bowler to the Broncos last week for multiple draft picks and three veteran players.

For Schneider, this wasn't the first time he's been involved with a franchise-altering decision moving on from a beloved, Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback, which helped him through the process.

"The trade itself with Russ was very unique, obviously historical. I'm not sure it's appropriate to say - I'm not blessed - but we have the experience to go through what we went through in Green Bay trading Brett Favre," Schneider said. "We traded an iconic player and the same thing with Russell here. Denver was phenomenal here and George Paton, their general manager, I've known for a long time. He was great. We were able to keep this thing really tight."

For much of the past two years, Wilson's name has dominated NFL headlines as speculation ran rampant about him potentially being traded. The quarterback helped spawn the relentless rumors on his own accord when he aired grievances about poor pass protection, not having enough say in personnel decisions, and other issues in multiple interviews. Weeks later, his agent Mark Rodgers threw gas on the fire by releasing four teams through ESPN his client would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for.

Through it all, even after Schneider reportedly spoke with the Bears about a blockbuster deal leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, the quarterback remained with the Seahawks and all parties worked to mend fences starting in OTAs. As he had been for the previous nine seasons, he was back under center when the team opened the season against the Colts in Indianapolis.

But as the team rolled through a disappointing season, Wilson's discontent remained and rumors cropped back up in December, setting the stage for him to help orchestrate his departure. While it remains unclear how early Seattle began discussing a trade with Denver, Carroll indicated when the right business opportunity arose, what seemed like a long shot to happen suddenly looked viable trading the franchise quarterback for a boatload of draft assets.

"We took a look and we were surprised at how good of a deal came to us and how Johnny [Schneider] with the work of their people," Carroll commented. "It's not about blaming anybody or forcing the issues in any particular way. Everybody had to agree to this eventually and so we did and it really opened some door ways we didn't think existed at the time."

When asked to elaborate on reasons why he thought Wilson wanted to "explore options" to play elsewhere, including frustrations about the lack of playoff success with one postseason win since 2017, Carroll refused to offer specifics, telling reporters to ask the quarterback himself.

But while Carroll wasn't offering much insight on what factors led to the 33-year old Wilson wanting out of town and his stunning exodus, Schneider admitted contractual concerns played a key role in the decision to trade him to Denver. With two years left on the contract he signed in April 2019, he hinted that the organization didn't expect the player to have interest in signing another multi-year deal to stay in the Pacific Northwest.

"We were under the impression that there wouldn't be a long-term extension," Schneider said.

With Wilson apparently not interested in committing to the organization beyond 2023, the Seahawks were put into a difficult position. They could have tried to run it back next season with the star quarterback, but doing so would likely have limited the compensation they would receive in return next offseason when he would be a year older and only have one year remaining under contract.

Respecting Wilson's desire for a fresh start with a new team, talks between Schneider and Paton accelerated quickly over the past month. With the Broncos dangling several veterans the Seahawks were enamored by along with two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick, a deal came together at the combine in Indianapolis and within a few days after the event, the quarterback was heading to the Mile High City.

Happy for Wilson to receive the second chance he coveted, Carroll wished him the "frickin very best" as he transitions into the next stage of his career.

"He did awesome stuff for us here in Seattle. He was a great player for us," Carroll stated. "But now, his second opportunity, look what he's going to do with it. He's going to fly, he's going to do great stuff, and we support him and wish him well and all that."

Officially entering uncharted territory without Wilson at the controls for the first time in a decade, Carroll and Schneider didn't provide too many clues about who may be starting in his former stead. Both men spoke highly of Drew Lock, a former second-round pick out of Missouri who was included as part of the trade with Denver, while Carroll kept the door open for Geno Smith to return in free agency and Jacob Eason remains on the roster ready to compete.

Unprompted, Carroll even hinted that Colin Kaepernick could be a possibility despite the fact that the former 49ers starter has not played a down in the league since 2016. The two spoke recently and Kaepernick threw passes to receiver Tyler Lockett, creating further speculation about him landing with the Seahawks. Other free agents with starting experience such as Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston remain available on the market as well.

Without giving away too much intel, Schneider also sounded open to the idea of drafting a quarterback in April. Among players who could be in consideration, Liberty's Malik Willis, Mississippi's Matt Corral, and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder could be early round possibilities with three picks in the first 41 selections.

Regardless of who ends up starting under center next year, while Wilson will certainly be missed and the decision to trade him could backfire tremendously, his disgruntled presence had become too much of a distraction. Moving forward without him, Schneider and Carroll are betting on themselves to use newfound draft capital and ample cap space to build around his replacement with a strong defense, quality running game, and stellar special teams to remain very competitive in the NFC West.