Seahawks could have had Jalen Hurts, if not for Russell Wilson
![GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 12: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles against the Kansas City Chiefs after Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 12: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles against the Kansas City Chiefs after Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/0d11b1b8a31261aed664cd9862744884291f1cd532ea2103b9320ce132f44505.jpg)
There’s no sense or real value at all in living in the past, yet we all do it at times. Living in the realm of “what if” can be extremely unhealthy, and if you’re a Seattle Seahawks fan, you may want to sit this one out. Or you may be extremely interested to know, based on the title of this post, what kind of “what if” world you could be living in right now.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the 2022 blockbuster trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos ultimately came down to a handful of teams that were interested in trading for the former star quarterback. Ultimately, Wilson had a no-trade clause in his contract that allowed him to select his new team, and he wanted to go to the Denver Broncos. With that being said, he did have multiple suitors.
It was noted at the time that the Washington Commanders had an interest in acquiring Wilson, but Rap Sheet stated on Monday that the Philadelphia Eagles were also heavily involved in attempting to land Wilson.
Seahawks may have missed out in Russell Wilson trade due to no-trade clause
Russell Wilson could've been traded to the Eagles or Commanders last year, but he ultimately said he only wants to be traded to the #Broncos, per @RapSheet
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 16, 2023
Ian said that at points during the 2022 Combine, he believed the Eagles or Commanders would trade for Russ. (@JoeyMulinaro) pic.twitter.com/SEXNr93e9B
Now, there’s no guarantee that Jalen Hurts would have been included in the deal to acquire Russell Wilson, of course. But the fact that the Seahawks asked the Broncos to send Drew Lock back in the deal that ended up happening certainly makes you wonder…
It’s pretty crazy to think now, because we all saw Jalen Hurts have an absolutely monster year in 2022. He broke out as arguably the top overall QB in the NFC and played so well in a Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs that he could have probably been named MVP of the game, even in defeat. Knowing what we know now, including Jalen Hurts in a trade for Russell Wilson, which would have also included premier selections going back to the Seahawks, is a laughable idea.
At this time a year ago, however, the Eagles needed to put a good measure of faith in Jalen Hurts’ progression. There were plenty of Eagles fans who were creating jersey swaps of players to be their new quarterback, including Aaron Rodgers. At least from the fans’ perspective, Hurts was not the guy as of just over a year ago, maybe not even that long. And from the Eagles’ perspective, clearly they were interested in adding Russell Wilson, so apparently even they weren’t completely convinced.
But because of Russell Wilson having a no-trade clause and only wanting to go play for the Denver Broncos, it’s possible the Seattle Seahawks missed out on trading for Jalen Hurts last offseason, and not only that, but landing him in a trade that also included high NFL Draft capital.