Seahawks Reportedly Spoke To Browns About Russell Wilson Trade Before 2018 Draft

Last week, Chris Simms of NBC Sports mentioned that he had heard the Seahawks offered QB Russell Wilson to the Browns back in 2018 for the No. 1 overall pick that was later used to select QB Baker Mayfield. 

“I’ll say this, and I think I’ve told you this before. I had heard a rumor from some people that I trusted a few years ago that Seattle called Cleveland when they had the No. 1 pick, and there was this rumor going around the NFL that they offered Russell Wilson to the Browns for the No. 1 pick the year they drafted Baker Mayfield,” Simms said, via Bleacher Report. “I never followed up, but I just know I had people tell me that that was something people were hearing. … I don’t know how serious those discussions were.”

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that the Browns contend the idea was “floated” conceptually, but the discussion did, in fact, happen.

Florio explains that this was during the point when the Seahawks and Wilson were working on a record extension that would ultimately pay him $35 million per year. The two sides eventually agreed to the contract and Seattle agreed to include a no-trade clause in the deal.

Florio reports that the no-trade clause was influenced by the trade talk about a potential trade to Cleveland.

According to Florio, some close to the situation believe Wilson will eventually be traded. For what it’s worth, Florio lists the Cowboys, Raiders and Saints as some potential landings spots he believes could make sense for Wilson in the years to come, assuming he’s actually traded.

The Seahawks would take a $39 million cap hit by trading Wilson next year. In 2022, the cap hit drops to $26 million and in 2023 it’s down to $13 million. 

Wilson, 31, is a former third-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2012. He was entering the final year of his five-year, $89.142 million contract when the Seahawks signed him to a four-year, $140 million extension that included a $65 million signing bonus. 

Wilson stands to make base salaries of $19 million and $21 million over the next two years of the agreement.

In 2019, Wilson appeared in all 16 games for the Seahawks and completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 4,110 yards, 31 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 342 yards and three touchdowns.