Russell Wilson Trade To Eagles Blocked By QB; Best Move Never Made?
Time will tell and history will reveal the eventual fates of today's star NFL QBs. And the rumors connecting the Philadelphia Eagles to current Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson are serving as a reminder of how fickle those fates can be.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport previously reported during an April appearance on Joey Mulinaro's podcast that he was "convinced" the Eagles would trade for Wilson before the former Seattle Seahawks franchise star was dealt to Denver last March in arguably one of the more notable trades of the past decade.
"There were times last year where I was pretty convinced either the Eagles or Commanders were going to trade for Russell Wilson," Rapoport said. "That was one where you kinda stop everything and you're like, 'Hang on.'"
But Wilson apparently wasn't interested in the Eagles.
"Now turns out that that was not something (Wilson) was into," Rapoport said. "He was only interested in going to the Broncos and I think we know the story ... That was something that shook my brain a little bit last year."
Now, to add to Rapoport's story telling, Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop reported as well during an appearance on Seattle Sport sthat Wilson didn't want to be traded to the Eagles.
Insider reports are one thing, but hearing it from Jake Heaps, Wilson's personal QB coach, is another. Heaps admitted in March 2022 that the Eagles and Washington Commanders both tried to trade for Wilson but that the deal didn't happen because of the quarterback's own desires.
"He turned down the Washington offer and he turned down an offer from Philly during the combine," Heaps said, per Bleeding Green Nation.
For Wilson, it could be a career-altering choice for the worst. Should the trade have happened in March, he would've joined an Eagles offense that was set to add A.J. Brown later that draft and had an elite defense on the other side. Wilson got paid big time with a five-year $242.5 million contract extension in Sept. 2022, but threw a career-low 16 touchdowns along with 11 interceptions while the Broncos tumbled their way to a 5-12 record in his first year.
However, talking about all this would be considered one big waste of breath if you're the Eagles, but it's fun to speculate for the fans.
After all, the Eagles have their entire future ahead of them with newly-extended quarterback Jalen Hurts leading the way, who likely wouldn't have gotten a season-long chance to prove himself as a franchise signal-caller this past year if Wilson had arrived via trade.
Wilson had a poor 2022 season in Denver, though that's no guarantee the same would've happened if he was an Eagle. But based on his first year with the Broncos, it's pretty unlikely Wilson would've played at the same MVP-caliber level as Hurts, who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
For Philly? Wilson's decision to choose the Broncos might've been the best outcome for the franchise.
For Wilson? As far as Super Bowl aspirations go, the Eagles would've given him a better chance at his second ring as he approaches what could be the final stages of his career.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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