Seahawks reportedly talked to the Browns about trading Russell Wilson in 2018

Russell Wilson on the Browns? It sounds like a Browns fan's dream (and a Seahawks fan's nightmare) but apparently, it was a real discussion that took place in 2018, as Pro Football Talk reports that the Seattle Seahawks discussed trading Wilson to Cleveland.

The talks were only preliminary but Seattle was willing to at least discuss trading Wilson as he was heading towards a new contract that would end up earning him over $35 million per year. Meanwhile, the Browns had the top pick in the draft, so the Seahawks would have apparently received the pick in exchange for Wilson. The trade obviously didn't end up happening and the Browns drafted Baker Mayfield in hopes of finding their next franchise quarterback.

Still, even with the trade falling through, the fact that one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks was even discussed as a part of a trade is pretty shocking. Typically, when a team lands even a startable franchise quarterback, they hold onto them for dear life. And since he entered the league, Wilson has been among the league's most consistently great quarterbacks, even winning a Super Bowl for the Seahawks in 2014.

So why on earth would they even think about trading him? It may be because of money but there's not really a clear answer. It seems crazy to think the team may not be sold on Wilson but if sources are to be believed, there is still a chance that Wilson could end up being traded elsewhere.

However, there are a lot of hurdles to jump if the Seahawks are seriously considering trading Wilson, including getting him to waive his no-trade clause. And even then, the team is unlikely to trade him in the near future, as they would be taking a massive dead cap hit if they traded him before 2022.