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Russell Wilson has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the entire NFL offseason. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson says he never requested trade

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 6/10/21

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the entire NFL offseason. It started when the Super Bowl-winning quarterback took to a public forum to criticize pass protection in front of him.

The whole drama then took on a life of its own. Reports surfaced that he has not been happy about the player-personnel decisions made by head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider. That snowballed into a perceived rift with Carroll and the Chicago Bears offering up the farm for Wilson.

On hand for Seahawks mandatory minicamp this week, Wilson attempted to explain away what has been happening behind the scenes, via ProFootballTalk's Charean Williams:

“I think first of all, you know obviously I love Seattle. I love playing here. I’ve had a great career here so far. I’ve always wanted to play here for my whole career, obviously. I think there were some unfortunate frustrations after the season.”

Wilson went on to deny that he ever requested a trade from the Seahawks:

“I did not request a trade. I’ve always wanted to play here. The reality is I think calls were getting thrown around and this and that, and I mean that’s just a reality. But I think at the end of the day the real reality is I’m here and I’m here to win. I’m here to win at all.”

We’re not sure what Wilson is expected to say right now. Is there internal strife in the Pacific Northwest? Yes. That seems to be as clear as day. But he remains the face of the franchise. Whether that changes moving forward remains to be seen.

Will the 2021 season be defining for Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks?

Wilson, 32, spoke to some frustrations that took place following a wild-card playoff exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. He’s accustomed to making deep runs in the playoffs, and he has led his team to two conference title wins and a Super Bowl victory. Being seen as a mid-tier playoff contender does not sit well with the seven-time Pro Bowl performer.

That’s where the 2021 season comes into play. Seattle exists in an ultra-competitive NFC West that saw the Arizona Cardinals improve on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams (Matthew Stafford) and San Francisco 49ers (Trey Lance) added talented quarterbacks to the mix.

Right now, there’s no odds-on favorite in that division. As for the Seahawks, they have a ton of holes on both sides of the ball after an inactive offseason and a 2021 NFL Draft in which they made only three selections.

Wilson is the one equalizing factor here. He continued an absolutely brilliant career in 2020, throwing for 4,212 yards to go with 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Should teamwide struggles continue in 2021, we’ll likely be rehashing these trade rumors again next March.

At the very least, it seems like the drama that we saw in Seattle earlier this offseason is a thing of the past. That’s a good thing for Wilson and Co.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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