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Brady HendersonESPN
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said he is frustrated with the number of times he has been hit during his career and would like to be more involved in the team’s staffing decisions.
“Like any player, you never want to be hit,” Wilson told reporters via Zoom on Tuesday. That’s the reality of playing this position. Ask any quarterback who wants to play this game. But at the same time, it’s part of the track and everything else. I think the reality is that I definitely got hit. Almost 400 times. fired, so we have to get better. I also have to find ways to get better. “
Asked if he’s frustrated with the Seahawks, Wilson said, laughing, ‘I’m frustrated [about] getting hit too much. I am frustrated with that part of it. At the end of the day you want to win. “
Wilson’s comments mark the first time he has publicly expressed displeasure with his pass protection or any other aspect of the organization that drafted him in 2012. They follow an NFL Network report stating that multiple teams have called the Seahawks about a possible trade for the eight-time Pro Bowler.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, those calls were non-starters for the Seahawks, making it clear to suitors that Wilson will not be treated. He has three more years left on the $ 140 million four-year extension he signed in April 2019. Trading Wilson before June 1 of this year would lead to $ 39 million in death-money benefits at Seattle’s 2021 salary cap.
Wilson has been fired 394 times in his career. According to ESPN Stats & Information, that’s the most in a player’s first nine seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Randall Cunningham is next at 366.
Wilson’s 47 sacks in 2020 were third in the NFL, behind Carson Wentz (50) and Deshaun Watson (49). The Seahawks were ninth-best in ESPN’s pass block win rate (61.9%) last season and ranked eighth since 2017 (59.2%), which is an indication of how some of Wilson’s pockets are a function of his tendency to elongate.
“I think about my career and what I want to be able to do, it always starts at the front, offensively defensive, it always does,” said Wilson. “… I came to play this game to win championships, so if you ask me about the trust factor in it all, I’ve always put my trust in the Seahawks who try to do whatever it takes to win and hopefully that will continue. I think that’s an important part. I think part of that is how we go about the protection part of it and figure out those other things like that. “
The Seahawks have Pro Bowl tackle Duane Brown on the left and Brandon Shell on the right, each under contract for one more season. Judge Guard Damien Lewis, a third round pick in 2020, was named to the All-Rookie team of the Pro Football Writers Association after starting every game. Left guard Mike Iupati and center Ethan Pocic are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
Wilson said during his video conference that he wants to have the voice in personnel decisions that other top quarterbacks have or have had, by the names of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Wilson made the same point in an interview with the Dan Patrick Show earlier Tuesday.
“I want to be involved because at the end of the day it’s your legacy, it’s your team legacy, it’s the guys you can talk to, and at the end of the day, those guys you “I have to trust,” Wilson said to Patrick. “If you think about one of the reasons Tom went to Tampa was because he felt he could trust those guys and [coach Bruce Arians] would give him the chance. … You think of guys like LeBron [James], he could be around great players he can trust.
“I think for me, every time you bring in free agents or other players, you want the best players, guys who love the game, guys who want to be a part of it. And as a player you actually know that, you come near Pro Bowls you see these guys a little bit you’re in the group with the linemen or the receivers or you get close to defensive guys So you build that over time and you get to see who can really play. As a player you really know. I think that relationship is really the key and that dialogue, especially as an experienced player, that dialogue is very important. “
Asked if he is or has been involved in those conversations, Wilson said “not so much.” He added, “I think it helps to be more involved. But I think the dialogue should take place more often in my opinion.”
Of teams calling the Seahawks about a possible transaction, Wilson said to Patrick, “Yeah, I sure got calls. I think every time you’re a player trying to produce every week and doing it consistently “I think people will definitely call, and it’s part of the process.”
Asked if he’s available, Wilson said, “I’m not sure if I’m available or not. That’s a Seahawks question. But most of all, I think you want to win at the end of the day. You’re playing this game for the first time. “You know what I hate? I hate sitting there watching other guys play the game. There’s nothing worse.”