The Russell Wilson rumor mill is quickly gaining momentum. Just one day after it was reported that teams were actually trying to make a blockbuster trade for the Seattle Seahawks star quarterback, whispers from Wilson's camp have emerged to further imply that he might be on his way out.
According to Jason La Canfora of Inside Access, there have been rumors that there is growing frustration from the eight-time Pro Bowl QB about the pass protection he's been getting over the past nine seasons.
I’m hearing Russell Wilson’s camp has grown increasingly frustrated by the Seahawks inability to protect the 8 time Pro Bowler. He has been sacked 394 times in 9 seasons. This situation warrants serious monitoring.
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 9, 2021
According to the report, Wilson has been sacked 43.7 times on average in his career with the Seahawks. This puts the former Super Bowl champion as the most sacked QB in their first nine seasons in the NFL (via Dan Daly of ProFootballDaly.com).
Wilson has been sacked more times in his first 9 seasons than any other QB since the merger.
394 Russ
366 Randall Cunningham
362 Neil Lomax
356 Phil Simms
344 Big Ben
All good-to-great QBs. 4 rings in that group. Fascinating. #Seahawks https://t.co/FG9JPQyfCB— Dan Daly (@dandalyonsports) February 9, 2021
That's definitely not ideal numbers for a QB. In the 2019 season, Wilson was tied with Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons and Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals with 48 sacks each to lead the NFL. This past season, the 32-year-0ld Wilson got sacked 47 times.
For context, Super Bowl LV champion Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was only sacked 21 times, while reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers tallied 20.
Considering the Seahawks have made it to the postseason in eight of out Wilson's nine seasons, including two Super Bowl trips, the fact is quite glaring. Unfortunately, it seems that the lack of protection is taking its toll on Russell Wilson, and if the Seahawks don't address this quickly, they might lose their cornerstone sooner rather than later.