SEATTLE — With two brush strokes over the span of about 10 hours, the Seattle Seahawks mentioned goodbye to massive foundations of their Super Bowl historical past.
Gone is quarterback Russell Wilson, traded to Denver in a blockbuster transfer. Gone is Bobby Wagner, the defensive stalwart and sure future Hall of Famer, launched as a part of a wage cap squeeze.
So lengthy historical past. Hello, rebuild.
That is the obvious route the Seahawks are headed after a Tuesday that gained’t be forgotten by their followers. The group agreed to ship Wilson to Denver early within the day, based on two folks acquainted with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on the situation of anonymity as a result of the commerce can’t be introduced till after the beginning of the brand new league 12 months subsequent week.
Hours later, Wagner confirmed to the AP that the Seahawks had knowledgeable him he was being launched, his $20 million wage cap hit for 2022 deemed an excessive amount of for Seattle to soak up.
And with that, the ultimate two starters nonetheless round from Seattle’s Super Bowl profitable group from 2013 — ones that appeared destined to be lifelong gamers for the group — had been now not Seahawks.
Their conditions differed. Wilson needed to waive a no-trade clause to simply accept the transfer to Denver. Wagner spoke on the finish of the season of eager to return but additionally knew the burden of his contract.
“I understand there is a business side to this, but there’s a lot of optimism on my end that I’ll be back,” Wagner mentioned in early January. “I’m not worried about it. Obviously, I can’t control everything. I can only control my part.”
No matter the explanations behind their departures, it’s an enormous change for the Seahawks.
For nearly all of 10 seasons, the leaders on each side of the ball for Seattle had been by no means questioned. Taken in the identical draft one spherical aside in 2012, Wagner and Wilson walked into Seattle’s follow facility and nearly instantly laid declare to spots they by no means relinquished apart from for damage.
Wagner was a six-time first-team All-Pro choice, constructing a resume that regardless of the subsequent section of his profession is probably going ok for a gold jacket and induction to the Hall of Fame.
Wilson will perpetually be the beginning quarterback of Seattle’s first Super Bowl championship group, and for a decade gave the Seahawks a franchise QB and one of the vital thrilling gamers within the league.
Just days after coach Pete Carroll and common supervisor John Schneider indicated on the NFL mix that Seattle wasn’t open for enterprise relating to Wilson, the duo made arguably essentially the most impactful commerce in franchise historical past.
In some methods, they’re staking their reputations to having the ability to discover Seattle’s subsequent quarterback, and the extra transfer to launch Wagner solely added to the most important questions on the place the franchise goes subsequent.
Is this the beginning of a full rebuild for the Seahawks with a head coach that can flip 71 in September?
Do the Seahawks consider quarterbacks Drew Lock — reportedly a part of the commerce — or Jacob Eason have the prospect to be the starter this fall?
Did Seattle fall in love with one of many quarterbacks on the mix and is hoping to land one other Wilson-like house run within the draft?
Or will the Seahawks use the capital obtained within the Wilson deal to attempt to discover one other veteran quarterback out there both in free company or by way of commerce?
Those solutions will come starting with the beginning of the brand new league 12 months. None could possibly fulfill Seattle’s followers stinging from the commerce.
The information of Wilson’s commerce and Wagner’s launch evoked painful reminders for these followers of the previous when among the prime gamers of their respective sports activities referred to as Seattle house solely to be dealt away.
Ken Griffey Jr. was seemingly within the prime of his Hall of Fame profession and arguably the most effective participant in baseball when he was traded by the Mariners to the Cincinnati Reds in earlier than the 2000 season. Gary Payton was a Seattle SuperSonics lifer and the face of the franchise when a spat with possession led to his commerce to Milwaukee in 2002. The Seahawks went down this street of claiming goodbye to fan favorites within the earlier years with the likes of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and others that had been keys to that Super Bowl group.
And now it’s Wilson and Wagner added to that listing.
The post Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner exits an finish of an period for Seahawks first appeared on Umorr.
