After weeks of negotiations, in one of the biggest trades in NFL history, the Denver Broncos have agreed to send a significant package of players and draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, sources said Tuesday. told ESPN. ,
Broncos quarterback Drew Locke, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (2022 - No. 9 overall - and 2023), two second-round picks (2022 - No. 40 overall - and 2023) and Wilson's The fifth round of selection for the Seahawks for 2022 and the fourth round of selection for 2022, the sources said.
The trade gives Denver the quarterback it has sought since Peyton Manning retired, and it gives Seattle a foundation on which to rebuild without the quarterback that led the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl title.
Sources told ESPN that Wilson agreed to waive his no-trade provision and passed his Broncos physical on Tuesday night. These moves cleared the way for the Seahawks to send him to Denver, ending their historic 10-season run in Seattle that included nine Pro Bowl selections, one Super Bowl title, and more wins than any quarterback. , which was posted during its first 10 seasons. League.
Sources told ESPN's Brady Henderson that the Broncos were Wilson's choice if they were to be traded.
Other players involved in the trade still have to pass their physical exams. But teams will now begin the process with the NFL to confirm the trade, which cannot be officially announced until 4 p.m. on March 16. ET, the start of the 2022 league year.
Denver's acquisition of Wilson has nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers' decision to return to Green Bay. Denver general manager George Patton began trade talks with Seattle for Wilson at least two weeks ago, the sources said. But in recent days, as trade talks with Seattle intensified, it became clear that Wilson was the Broncos' Plan A. The Broncos and Packers did not discuss trading Rodgers this off-season.
The Seahawks were silently listening to Wilson's proposals and received calls from several teams. A league source estimates that there will be more than a dozen teams in total. Wilson realized he had to move on, and if he did, he wanted to go to a winning program. Denver, with all its offensive talent and its tough defense, is in "win now" mode.
Denver has been trying to find a suitable quarterback since Manning retired, just as the organization tried to find a suitable quarterback after John Elway retired. Enter Wilson, 33.
Wilson will join the Broncos team led by new head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The team's offense included wide receivers Jerry Judy, Cortland Sutton, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler, tight end Albert Okwegbunam and Jevont Williams.
The Broncos' chances of winning the Super Bowl increased from 25-1 to 12-1 on Tuesday, reported Caesars Sportsbook. Only three teams—the Buffalo Bills (15-2), the Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) and the Packers (10-1)—have better chances of winning the Super Bowl than the Broncos in the Caesars Sportsbook. Meanwhile, the Seahawks looked at their odds to drop the Super Bowl 40-1 to 75-1 at the Caesars.
According to ESPN Stats and Information Research, Wilson defeated the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII and would become the first starting quarterback for the team to be defeated in a Super Bowl.
Wilson was set to count against Seattle's salary cap of $37 million this coming season. His business would save the Seahawks $11 million in the 2022 cap space. The Seahawks are also releasing all-pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, another franchise cornerstone who was drafted in 2012 on the same day as Wilson, saving him $16.6 million in cap space.
The Seahawks take $26 million in dead money by trading Wilson. Per ESPN Stats & Information Research, this is the second most dead money a team has ever spent, surpassing the Philadelphia Eagles' $33.8 million in a Carson Wentz trade.
Coach Pete Carroll told reporters at the Scouting Combine last week that the Seahawks had "no intention" to trade Wilson, but Carroll again refrained from downplaying the possibility entirely. Carroll said that general manager John Schneider's standard response to teams questioning Wilson is that the Seahawks are not buying their quarterback, according to The (Tacoma) News Tribune.
Wilson's business comes 13 months after his frustrations with the organization come to the surface. He publicly complained in February 2021 about all the hits and sacks he's had over his career - lobbying the team to improve the safety he has - and his alleged involvement in personnel matters relative to other top quarterbacks. about shortage.
Sources told ESPN that Wilson's comments rankled some in the organization. But those tensions seem to have eased during the drama-free 2021 season.
It is unclear whether Wilson requested the trade.
According to a source, Wilson always plans to revisit his concerns after the 2021 season. He has spoken on several occasions about his desire to stay in Seattle longer, saying that he wants to win more Super Bowls with the Seahawks. But Wilson held off on declaring that he would remain, even though his no-trade clause could guarantee it.
Wilson has two years and $51 million left in four years, signing a $140 million extension in April 2019. This includes a base salary of $19 and $22 million, making up the balance with a $5 million March roster bonus in each year. If Wilson remains on Seattle's roster until March 20, the Seahawks will owe him a $5 million bonus.
Wilson leaves Seattle as the franchise's career leader in the most relevant passing categories and the only quarterback to win the Lombardi Trophy for the Seahawks.
The Seahawks are scheduled to play a home game against the Broncos next season.