3 Seahawks who can’t be brought back for rebuild

Russell Wilson

If the Seahawks are going all in on rebuilding their franchise, they’ll need to move on from the guy who has defined it in the past.

Russell Wilson is a big name quarterback who can help elevate a franchise into a true Super Bowl contender when he’s healthy and has the right weapons around him, but he’s also expensive and it’d be a lot easier to make big roster moves with more cash and draft picks available. Because of that, unfortunately for Seattle fans, it seems like the time to part with Wilson is coming up.

The Seahawks don’t appear to be built for success as they are currently assembled and, unlike the other two names on this list, there’s absolutely no way Wilson could even remotely be affordable if Seattle decides to keep him as the Seahawks rebuild.

There’s also Wilson’s age and recent injury history to consider here as well. Like Smith, the other quarterback on this list, Wilson is over 30 years old. At a certain point, he will not be as athletic, durable, or competitive as some of his younger contemporaries.

The 33-year-old quarterback is still a dynamic playmaker and leader who has helped define the Seahawks for the last decade, but he’s been dinged up this year and will be expensive to hold on to. Paying him the remainder of his four-year, $140 million contract that goes into 2024 doesn’t make much sense for this team.

The Seahawks will have options to move Wilson. Other teams will definitely be interested. With some draft picks to build the team around and less strain on the payroll, maybe that would open up opportunities for Smith and Pocic to stick around. Or maybe they, just like Wilson, can also end up with teams that will have more success next season.