National Football League

Seattle Seahawks, Russell Wilson increasingly appear headed for a breakup

Updated Mar. 5, 2021 3:05 p.m. ET

At this point, is a breakup in Seattle inevitable?

With the daily creep of news, rumors and innuendo surrounding the situation between the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson, you have to wonder.

What started as talk of Wilson’s general unhappiness has evolved to this: ESPN’s Dianna Russini is reporting that when teams call asking about the star quarterback, the Seahawks are answering the phone and listening to what others have to say.

The Seahawks might or might not be initiating the phone calls, but that’s a pretty thin hair to split if they’re indeed willing to listen to offers. It’s also a far cry from what has been happening in Houston, where the Texans, despite some advice from our own Charlotte Wilder and Colin Cowherd, have publicly refused to even consider dealing their unhappy quarterback, Deshaun Watson.

Regardless, the whole thing doesn’t seem so laughable anymore, and if you’re a Seahawks fan, it might even be frightening. In fact, as the days pass and neither side seems all that interested in sitting down and airing things out, it’s starting to take on a feeling of inevitability, and there is a growing sense that this might have been what Wilson wanted all along.

"Russell Wilson knows exactly what he’s doing – he’s never not in control," Charissa Thompson said on Jason McIntyre’s podcast, "Straight Fire." "He’s never not moving the chess pieces because he is an intelligent individual that knows what he says and how he says it. He’s wanted help for a long time. … It’s disheartening."

Thompson went on to point out that Wilson’s misstep – if he wants to stay in Seattle – was saying that he didn’t want to be traded, but if necessary, he’d accept a trade to Dallas, New Orleans, Las Vegas or Chicago.

Regardless of whether that was an attempted ploy to facilitate a trade, it rankled the Seahawks.

Indeed, Michael Silver told the NFL Network that Seattle is not happy with how things have gone down and should absolutely be shopping Wilson at this point.

"I think the situation is worse than I previously believed," Silver said. "So yeah, my thoughts have somewhat evolved … If the Seahawks are not at least having conversations about the possibility of a Russell Wilson trade right now, they’re committing malpractice because clearly, he is that unhappy."

How did the Seahawks let things get to this point?

That’s a question that baffles Brandon Marshall, who pointed out that Pete Carroll was a staunch supporter of the third-round draft pick in 2012, despite receiving a significant amount of pressure to start free-agent signee Matt Flynn at the time.

"I just don’t understand how we got to this point when you saw something great in this kid when nobody else saw it, when everybody else passed on him two times," Marshall said on "First Things First."

When you consider how much Wilson has meant to the success of the Seahawks since his arrival, it’s a legitimate question.

As Nick Wright pointed out, the Seahawks had won just eight playoff games in their first 36 years of existence, with one Super Bowl appearance and zero championships. In nine seasons with Wilson behind center, they’ve made the postseason eight times, including two Super Bowl appearances, and they won it all in 2013.

"Make him happy," Wright said. "I don’t know why this is complicated or confusing for them."

Is this fixable? Can the Seahawks and Wilson work out their differences and continue a relationship that has undoubtedly been fruitful?

Silver said that might be possible if Carroll chooses to make the attempt:

"I think that Pete Carroll regards himself as a problem solver, so he will try to patch things up," Silver said. "But unless things get a lot better, even if he does come back, think about what’s on the line, in a very tough division, in this upcoming season. If it doesn’t go great, are you going to trade Russell Wilson after the season? Or are you going to tell Pete Carroll, ‘Hey, man, it’s been a great run, but we’re going to bring in a coach that Russell Wilson wants to play for.’

"I’m not saying that would happen. I’m just saying there are a lot of balls in the air, and this is not a great situation right now."

A winning NFL franchise parting ways with its franchise quarterback? At one point, this would have been laughable. But as Jason McIntyre pointed out, things have taken a turn, and it might be what the quarterback wants.

"I’m starting to feel like there’s a little more smoke here than anticipated. It just feels like an unhappy marriage. … It almost feels like Russ gets his way and is leaving town."

Let Russ cook, or let Russ go?

That’s a question that might soon be answered.