Russell Wilson out of Seattle? Jack Del Rio certainly believes it’s a possibility.
Appearing on NFL Network, the former Raiders coach weighed in on the idea of Wilson playing in a different uniform next season, as the quarterback recently gave the Seahawks an April 15 deadline to get a new deal done.
“Don’t be surprised if, before it’s all said and done, when we line up for the season next year if Russell Wilson isn’t quarterbacking somewhere else, and the Seahawks haven’t gone and gotten a quarterback they think for the future,” Del Rio said, via Sporting News, on Monday’s “Up to the Minute.”
Wilson led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win over the Broncos during the 2013 season, when Del Rio was Denver’s defensive coordinator. This wouldn’t be the first time Seattle would have moved on from a star player.
“Just the way he gave the deadline, he’s been a tremendous player there for them, but to me that gives just enough ammo for the fans out there to not really like that, and enough for the Seahawks to maybe do what they’ve done with jettisoning some of their players before they overpay,” Del Rio said.
Following the release of Richard Sherman last year, the former Seahawks cornerback went scorched earth on the front office and coach Pete Carroll.
“I think at the end of the day it just became an issue of devaluing core players, players that are playing at a high level and really being curious about younger players and curious about the unknown,” Sherman said, according to ESPN.
While Wilson already has quieted Giants trade rumors, coming to New York may not be too far-fetched for the quarterback’s family.
“Russell Wilson’s wife is Ciara. She’s a singer and an entertainer,” Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd said in February. “She would prefer to live in New York, and the Giants need a quarterback, and there’s nobody in the draft they love. A lot of things add up. Last year of Russell Wilson’s contract. His wife would prefer New York. Seattle is not an entertainment mecca. … Also, Russell Wilson, good-looking guy, classy guy, incredibly marketable, and kinda buried in the Pacific Northwest.”
The Seahawks are on the clock.