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Brady HendersonESPN
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said he was frustrated with the number of times he was hit during his career and expressed his desire to be more involved in the team’s personal 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 defender who wants to play this game. But, at the same time, it’s part of the job and everything. I think the reality is that I was definitely hit. I was fired almost 400 times, so we have to improve. I also have to find ways to improve. “
Asked if he is frustrated with the Seahawks, Wilson said laughing: “I am frustrated [about] being hit too hard. I am frustrated with that part. At the end of the day, you want to win. “
Wilson’s comments mark the first time he has publicly expressed this degree of discontent with his pass protection or any other aspect of the organization that summoned him in 2012. They come in the wake of an NFL report stating that several teams have called Seahawks about a possible exchange for the eight-time Pro Bowler.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, these calls were impossible for the Seahawks, who made it clear to suitors that Wilson will not be served. He has three years left for the four-year extension, $ 140 million, which he signed in April 2019. Negotiating Wilson before June 1 this year would trigger $ 39 million in dead money charges against the Seattle wage cap for 2021 .
Wilson has been fired 394 times in his career. According to ESPN Stats & Information, this is the peak in a player’s first nine seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Randall Cunningham is next in 366.
Wilson’s 47 sacks in 2020 ranked third in the NFL, behind Carson Wentz (50) and Deshaun Watson (49). The Seahawks were the ninth best in ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate (61.9%) last season and occupied eighth place since 2017 (59.2%), which is indicative of how some of Wilson’s bags are a function of their propensity to extend the moves.
“I think about my career and what I want to be able to do, it always starts in the front, offensively defensively, it always starts,” said Wilson. “… I came to play this game to win championships, so if you ask me about the confidence factor in all of this, I have always trusted the Seahawks trying to do everything to win and I hope this continues. I think it is an important part I think part of that is how we do the protection part and find out about other things like that. “
The Seahawks have the Pro Bowl as left tackle Duane Brown and right tackle Brandon Shell, each under contract for another season. Right guard Damien Lewis, chosen in the third round in 2020, was named to the All-Rookie team of the Professional Football Writers Association after starting each game. Left guard Mike Iupati and center Ethan Pocic are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
Wilson said during his videoconference that he wants to have a say in the personal decisions that other prominent defenders have or have had, naming Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Wilson made the same observation on Tuesday in an interview with the Dan Patrick Show.
“I want to be involved because, at the end of the day, it’s your legacy, it’s your team’s legacy, it’s the guys you can join and, at the end of the day, those guys you have to trust,” said Wilson to Patrick. “When you think about one of the reasons Tom went to Tampa, it was because he felt he could trust those guys and [coach Bruce Arians] was going to give him the opportunity. … you think of guys like LeBron [James], he managed to live with great players he can trust.
“I think that, for me, every time you bring 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 know that, you stay close to the Pro Bowls, you can see these guys, you stay in the huddle with the attackers or the receivers or you stay close to the defense guys, so you kind of build that up over time and you get to see who can really play. As a player, you really know. I think the relationship is very important and this dialogue, especially as a veteran player, this dialogue is very important.
Asked if he is or was involved in these conversations, Wilson said “not so much”. He added: “I think it helps to be more involved. But I think the dialogue should happen more often, in my opinion.”
On the teams calling the Seahawks about a possible exchange, Wilson said to Patrick: “Yes, I definitely believe they got calls, for sure. I think whenever you are a player who tries to produce every week and you do it in a way consistent, I think people will call for sure and that’s part of the process. “
Asked if he is available, Wilson said: “I’m not sure if I’m available or not. This is a question from Seahawks. But I think more than anything, I think in the end, another day, you want to win. .. You play this game to be the best in the world. You know what I hate, I hate sitting there watching other guys play. There is nothing worse. “