National Football League

Pete Carroll: Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson are in a "fantastic place"

Published Apr. 29, 2021 10:56 a.m. ET

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Russell Wilson is staying in Seattle — for now. 

At the Seahawks’ pre-draft news conference on Wednesday, general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll spoke publicly about Wilson's future with the franchise for the first time since trade rumors involving the Super Bowl-winning quarterback ran rampant this offseason.

Schneider said that while many teams expressed interest in Wilson, the Seahawks never participated in any "active negotiations" for a trade. He didn’t specify which teams reached out. 

Carroll added that he and Wilson have come together and worked out the underlying issues that led to those trade talks. 

Exactly what was at hand?

Let’s get caught up. 

Back in February, the 32-year-old Wilson voiced his frustration with the lack of protection he received from the Seahawks’ offensive line during the 2020 season, and on "The Dan Patrick Show," Wilson made it clear that he wanted to see some major changes within the Seahawks organization when it came to his level of involvement.

He also shared that he "definitely" believed the Seahawks were already fielding calls about trading him.

During another interview that same day — one that was intended to be about Wilson’s 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award — the eight-time Pro Bowler once again didn’t hold back, revealing his immense unhappiness with being one of the most-hit quarterbacks since he entered the league.

Wilson has been sacked 394 times in his regular-season career, the most in a player's first nine seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, according to ESPN. He was sacked 47 times last season, third-most in the league behind the tallies of Deshaun Watson (49) and Carson Wentz (50), for a loss of 301 yards.

Wilson’s frustrations boiled over so much in the offseason that he, via his agent, Mark Rodgers, floated the names of four NFL teams to which he’d be willing to accept a trade. Those teams were the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.

When asked how long he’d be in Seattle, Wilson’s uncertainty and belief that the Seahawks had started fielding calls about him only perpetuated the trade rumors.

Reportedly, Seattle turned down the Bears' lucrative offer for Wilson that included three first-round picks, a third-round pick and star defenders Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, per Ian Rapoport. 

Despite the Bears' pursuit, though, it appears that the Seahawks weren't ready to part ways with their starting QB just yet. The team ended the 2020 season as NFC West champs before losing 30-20 to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card game — in which Wilson was sacked five times.

In Wednesday's interview, Carroll alluded to why he hadn’t spoken publicly about Wilson’s unfavorable comments until now and shared that, ultimately, the frustration was mutual. 

Despite the drama, Carroll left things on a positive note.

Looking forward to next season, Seahawks fans can rejoice in the news that Wilson is sticking around. There isn’t much else going on with the team, given that Seattle owns just three picks in the 2021 NFL Draft: the 56th pick in the second round, the 129th pick in the fourth round and the 250th pick in the seventh round. 

Then again, Wilson was drafted by the Seahawks as the 79th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and he has been a star for Seattle his entire nine-year NFL career.

Wilson remains under contract through 2023 after the $140 million extension he signed in April 2019, which includes a no-trade clause that he would have to waive to leave Seattle.

Furthermore, trading Wilson before June 1 would result in a $39 million dead money hit against Seattle's 2021 salary cap.

The marriage between Seattle and Wilson will seemingly continue through this season and possibly into the next few seasons. 

We'll see if it ends with a diamond ring. 

For more up-to-date news on all things Seahawks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

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