Report: Seahawks Sending Russell Wilson to Broncos in Blockbuster Trade

In one of the most stunning developments in NFL history, Seattle decided to part ways with Wilson, sending the superstar quarterback to the Mile High City for the next phase of his career in exchange for a bunch of draft picks and veteran players.

After two years of incessant rumors and speculation, the unthinkable has happened. Russell Wilson is no longer the quarterback of the Seahawks.

In a stunning turn of events, per a report from ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Seattle has agreed to terms on a trade sending Wilson to Denver in exchange for multiple first round picks, two second round picks, a fifth-round pick, and veteran players, with reports surfacing quarterback Drew Lock, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant will be part of the deal. Trade is pending a physical and approval from Wilson, who has a no-trade clause.

Last week, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that they had "no intention" of dealing Wilson. But every player has a price and apparently the Broncos provided a deal they simply couldn't refuse for the franchise quarterback.

Wilson, 33, aired his grievances with the organization shortly after Super Bowl LV in a series of interviews, blasting his offensive line for poor pass protection and lamenting the fact he didn't have more say in personnel decisions. A few weeks later, ironically through Schefter, his agent Mark Rodgers released a list of four teams - the Saints, Bears, Cowboys, and Raiders - who his client would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for.

A trade ultimately didn't happen and Wilson and the organization worked to smooth things over after the draft, speaking amicably about the state of their partnership. Unfortunately, the 2021 season didn't play out as planned for the player or the Seahawks, as the team finished with a 7-10 record and the quarterback missed the first three games of his career due to injury while putting up underwhelming numbers by his standards.

In recent weeks, Wilson made public statements indicating he loved playing in Seattle and hoped to continue his career in the Pacific Northwest. He also shot down the possibility of playing on the East Coast for a team such as the Washington Commanders on the Today show, but those remarks did leave open the door for him to play elsewhere west of the Mississippi River and per reports, Denver stood out as an ideal landing spot.

Joining the Broncos, Wilson will have a chance to replicate what Peyton Manning did in the second stanza of his career by leading one of the NFL's model organizations back to the Super Bowl. He will join a roster full of talent, including receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cortland Sutton as well as running back Javante Williams and tackle Garrett Bowles and a top-five scoring defense.

As for the Seahawks, they will move into a new season with a new quarterback for the first time since Wilson arrived as a third-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2012. For now, Lock and Jacob Eason are the two quarterbacks under contract and the team will have a chance to draft a signal caller in April with the No. 9 overall pick acquired from the Broncos as part of the blockbuster deal.

Among the players who could be in consideration as a long-term replacement options in this year's draft class, Malik Willis of Liberty, Matt Corral of Ole Miss, and Sam Howell of North Carolina could all be viable candidates.

Assuming the trade becomes official soon and the player waives his no-trade clause, Wilson will finish his storied 10-year run with the Seahawks as the franchise's all-time leader in all major passing categories. In 158 regular season games, he threw for 37,059 yards, 292 touchdowns, and posted a 101.8 passer rating while leading the team to 104 wins and eight playoff appearances.