The Denver Broncos are Super Bowl contenders again after agreeing to trade for Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.
Just hours after Aaron Rodgers had committed his future to Green Bay by agreeing a massive contract extension, Wilson became the next big domino to fall in a fascinating NFL offseason.
Rumours that Wilson would not be averse to a trade had emerged during early 2021 when his entourage even went as far as revealing the teams he’d consider.
2021 the end for Wilson in Seattle
An underwhelming 2021 season - which saw the Seahawks end with a 7-10 record and Wilson miss significant time with a serious finger injury - proved the end for Russ in the Pacific Northwest. And on Tuesday came the huge news of his trade to Denver.
The deal, which cannot be made official until the new NFL league year begins at 21:00 GMT on March 16, and needs Wilson’s approval, includes a huge haul of picks and players heading to Seattle.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Denver will give up:
- Two first-round draft picks
- Two second-round draft picks
- One fifth-round draft pick
- QB Drew Lock
- TE Noah Fant
- DL Shelby Harris
Seattle meanwhile gives up Wilson and a fourth-round draft pick.
Trade package:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2022
Seattle gets QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick.
Denver gets Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.
The 33-year-old was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 Draft out of Wisconsin, and within two years he had a Super Bowl ring after leading Seattle to a 43-8 rout of a Peyton Manning-led Denver.
Wilson came close to adding another ring in early 2015 when he was intercepted in the endzone to seal a heart-breaking 28-24 loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
In his stellar spell in Seattle, Wilson has been a Pro Bowl selection on nine occasions and became the face of the franchise. He signed a four-year contract worth $140million in 2019.
Denver now a serious contender
The move to acquire Wilson instantly turns Denver into a bona fide Super Bowl contender. The Broncos have a talented roster, but lacked a franchise QB to pull the strings during a disappointing 7-10 season in 2021.
Head coach Vic Fangio was fired following that failure to make the post-season and replaced by former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Denver had long been linked with a move for Rodgers, but as soon as that was off the table, they moved swiftly to complete the deal for Wilson.
Russ will have a talented receiving corps at his disposal in 2022, including the likes of WRs Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.
Denver struggled offensively in 2021 with both Teddy Bridgewater and Lock clearly not the long-term answer. Now there finally is one in the Mile High City, and one who will be expected to put the Broncos over the hump in a hurry.
