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There have been no cryptic Instagram posts or angry appearances on podcasts, and we can be thankful for that (looking at you, Aaron Rodgers). No, Russell Wilson largely stays off of social media because when he does get on, he usually manages to embarrass himself.
Whether it’s nauseatingly alluding to his wedding night sexcapades with Ciara or picking a new, stupid and poorly received nickname, anytime Wilson clicks on the forward facing camera on his cellphone, a solid dose of cringe is on the way.
But so far, just a little over a week or so into the offseason, Wilson has been silent. That should probably worry Seattle Seahawks fans. The team finished 7-10 (9-8 against the spread via MaximBet’s NFL odds), the first losing record of Wilson’s career. His head coach, Pete Carroll, is 70 years old and should be out practicing his putting game or planning a run for president (since we only elect septuagenarians now) instead of rebuilding an NFL team.
It’s understandable that Wilson might want to pull the ripcord and exit the Pacific Northwest to greener (and dryer and/or more Hollywood-esque) pastures in the latter half of his career.
In his trade teasing last year, Wilson floated the idea that he could be interested in joining the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints or Las Vegas Raiders. The problem was, two of those teams already had pretty good quarterbacks.
The Bears, and this was before drafting Justin Fields, got pretty pumped about the prospect of landing Wilson and reportedly offered three first rounders, a third rounder and two starting players. Seattle turned it down, but after suffering a losing season, watching two other NFC West teams play for the NFC title and one of those win the Super Bowl, they could be more willing to part ways with “Mr. Unlimited.”
If Seattle does decide to pull the trigger on a DangerRuss trade, where could he go? Here are the odds on his possible next franchise, according to MaximBet.
Who Will Russell Wilson Play For in 2022?
- Pittsburgh Steelers +600
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +600
- New Orleans Saints +700
- Washington Commanders +700
- Miami Dolphins +800
- Indianapolis Colts +900
- Denver Broncos +900
- Las Vegas Raiders +1200
- Carolina Panthers +1400
- Green Bay Packers +2000
- San Francisco 49ers +2000
- Cleveland Browns +2000
- New England Patriots +2000
- Philadelphia Eagles +3000
- Tennessee Titans +3000
- Baltimore Ravens +3000
- Chicago Bears +3500
- Minnesota Vikings +3500
- Arizona Cardinals +4000
- New York Jets +5000
- Atlanta Falcons +5000
- Houston Texans +5000
- New York Giants +5000
- Detroit Lions +7500
- Dallas Cowboys +10000
- Los Angeles Chargers +10000
- Los Angeles Rams +10000
- Jacksonville Jaguars +15000
- Cincinnati Bengals +25000
- Buffalo Bills +25000
- Kansas City Chiefs +50000
There’s an important fact to consider when it comes to any trade involving Wilson. He has a “no trade” clause in his contract. It doesn’t mean he can’t be traded, but it does mean he can veto any potential trade.
Like the Packers and Rodgers, there’s no way the Seahawks are going to send Wilson to a good (or potentially good) NFC team, regardless of the compensation offered. So as much sense as Tampa Bay (+600) might make, it’s not going to happen. It’s the same thing with the Saints (+700), plus they can’t fit Wilson’s contract into their salary cap. They can’t fit the players they have on the team now in their salary cap.
New Orleans is currently $74 million over the cap if you wondered why Sean Payton was so excited to hit the ejector seat on his head coaching career in the Big Easy. Wilson’s cap number for 2022 alone is $37 million.
While the Steelers (+600) are the odds-on favorites and make logical sense, they rarely trade away first round picks. The Minkah Fitzpatrick deal with the Dolphins back in 2019 was very out of character for them. That doesn’t mean they won’t be in the market. I think Pittsburgh is a natural fit for Jimmy Garoppolo (who could be had significantly cheaper). I don’t feel they’ll give up three first rounders plus for anyone.
But the Colts (+900) could be in desperation mode. They swung for the fences with Carson Wentz a year ago and the ball bounced back and hit them right in the face. Their roster is built to win now and Wilson would immediately make them a contender.
You could make the same argument, and you should, about the Broncos (+900). MaximBet’s Colorado bettors would love this, I’m sure.
If you’re looking for a real wild card big payoff, consider the Browns (+2000). Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t the only reason Cleveland bitterly watched the Rams win the Super Bowl.
The Browns are the Rams of the AFC, a team loaded across the board with talent that fields a quarterback who can’t take advantage of it. You add Wilson to the Browns, they could be hoisting the Vince Lombardi a year from now.
You’d think they’d understand that.
Adam Greene is @TheFirstMan on Twitter.
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