Chicago Bears: Are the Bears the final trade destination for Russell Wilson?

Looking back at Russell Wilson‘s preferred trade destinations, it seems that the Chicago Bears could be the only team left.

“I think it’s the Bears or no one,” said Mike Florio of NBC Sports on his podcast, referring to the Wilson trade destinations. He also stated Wilson demanding a trade “seems inevitable” for the 32-year old quarterback. 

Wilson announced four teams that he would accept a trade to at the beginning of this process (because he has a no-trade clause) — the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and the Chicago Bears.

Let’s breakdown why the other teams should be considered nullified at this point.

Dallas Cowboys

This is an easy one. Just look back to Monday, Mar. 8. Dak Prescott signed a four-year $160 million deal with the Cowboys.

The deal included an NFL record $126 million guaranteed, $66 million signing bonus and $75 million to be made in the first year. The cap hit grows over time, but it starts this season at a measly $22 million.

The Cowboys are set. Prescott is locked in for four years, or possibly six years of his mega-deal. No need to get into that. Just know that the Cowboys won’t be needing Wilson.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders general manager Mike Mayock made some comments in a Zoom meeting on Mar. 3 about their longtime quarterback, Derek Carr.

“I think Derek Carr had his best year yet, under Jon Gruden,” said Mayock in a Zoom meeting, “I think he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and we couldn’t be happier with him. “But if you’re asking me [specifically] about Derek, I think Jon and I would both stand shoulder to shoulder and pound the table for Derek Carr.”

The trade rumors were popping after the Raiders missed the playoffs last season with an 8-8 record. Carr, 29, has not made a Pro Bowl since making three straight between 2015-2017. His numbers remain consistent and are enough to keep his general manager wanting him around.

The bottom line is this — it seems likely that Carr will stay in Las Vegas, and the Raiders will shop Marcus Mariota around the league.

New Orleans Saints

Now, this one is tricky. The Saints have some serious quarterback confusion this offseason and need to figure some things out.

On the one hand, Drew Brees is supposed to retire. However, Brees has yet to officially announce his permanent resignation from the NFL. A workout video sparked possibilities for him to make his return, but it seemed unlikely after he restructured his contract to a veteran minimum deal.

Last season, Jameis Winston signed a one-year $1.1 million deal with the Saints to throw 11 total pass attempts during the regular season. The Saints will have the chance to bring him back once free agency starts on Mar. 17.

The Saints just spent $21 million on their backup quarterback, Taysom Hill, who could end up being Sean Payton’s next guy. Last season, Hill showed what he can do for a team. He threw for nearly 1,000 yards, four touchdowns, and completed 72.7% of his 121 passing attempts. Hill also ran the ball for 457 yards and eight touchdowns, while adding 98 receiving yards and an additional touchdown.

While the Saints’ next quarterback is truly unknown, they have bigger fish to fry. The team is projected to be in the red $50 million of cap space. They have no way of taking on Wilson’s contract.

Chicago Bears

And then there was one. The Bears check a lot of boxes for being a solid trade partner with the Seahawks, and they are also the final team on Wilson’s wish list able to do a trade.

“I expect the Chicago Bears to at least take their shot here because a source told me Russell Wilson likes that they have an emerging offensive line, a good offensive-mind in Matt Nagy, and an intriguing market in Chicago,” said Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter. 

The Bears have a lot to offer both the Seahawks and Wilson for future success.

For the Seahawks, the Bears have all of their future draft capital, strong defensive assets (Kyle Fuller, Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack), and young emerging talent (David Montgomery, Jaylon Johnson, Roquan Smith) to trade to them.

For Wilson, the Bears have an emerging offensive line (Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars), a better defense than the Seahawks as of last season (13th vs. 16th in opponent points allowed), and the Bears just used their franchise tag on Allen Robinson.

The Bears’ chances are high to trade for Russell Wilson if he was made available, considering that multiple teams on Wilson’s list should be out of the running. The Bears are desperate and they should be ready to pull the trigger if the shot is there.