Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks' asking price for Russell Wilson is three first-round picks?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/22/21

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson raised eyes earlier this month when he suggested that he could potentially be available on the trade market and criticized the organization for the number of hits he has endured playing behind suspect offensive lines.

An old adage in sports teaches that just about any player can be traded for the right price, and it seems the Seahawks have set the starting point for such a price as it pertains to Wilson's services.

As Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper wrote, NFL Media's Michael Silver reported on Monday that teams believe they'll have to be willing to part with at least three first-round draft picks to even discuss acquiring Wilson:

The @Seahawks are staying quiet in the wake of Russell Wilson's recent comments... but that isn't stopping teams from calling to see if he's available... @nflnetwork @AndrewSiciliano pic.twitter.com/Xs3Xwp6A2L
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) February 22, 2021

The truth of the matter is that Wilson would be an absolute steal at the cost of only three first-round selections. Per ESPN stats, the 32-year-old who still has a handful of years of his physical prime remaining in the tank finished the regular season tied for second in the NFL with 40 passing touchdowns. He was seventh with a passer rating of 105.1 and eighth with a total QBR of 73.5.

It's also worth noting that Wilson is committed to Seattle outside of his NFL interests. He and his wife Ciara are in a group that owns Major League Soccer club the Seattle Sounders, and he was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year the night before Super Bowl LV for his many off-the-field contributions to the community.

It's more likely than not that Wilson and the Seahawks will remain married through the offseason, but it appears some teams think he could be attainable but at an astronomical value.

Zac Wassink is a football and futbol aficionado who is a PFWA member and is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment. Erik Lamela and Eli Manning apologist. Chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. Whoops. You can find him on Twitter at @ZacWassink.

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