Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Team Unwilling To Pay Russell Wilson What He’s Asking, Could Lead To Wilson’s Departure

The Seattle Seahawks are rumored to be playing hardball with quarterback Russell Wilson, failing to meet the quarterback’s demands for a new contract and possibly opening the door to his departure.

Seattle has a habit of offering contract extensions to young stars to avoid letting them hit free agency, but so far they have not been able to ink a deal with Wilson. Sources say the two sides have not been able to make progress.

As 710 ESPN in Seattle noted, it’s actually quite a large gap between what Russell Wilson is asking and what the Seattle Seahawks are willing to pay.

“Over the past few weeks, it has become possible to sketch the general shape of some of the negotiations, not to provide hard-and-fast negotiating points but to show some of the issues the two sides will need to work out in order to bridge a gap that right now can be counted in the millions. Actually, it’s closer to 10s of millions.”

The report went on to add that the Seahawks are looking more to pay Wilson a salary comparable to Andy Dalton or Colin Kaepernick.

Russell Wilson has a lot of ammunition in his corner. He has already led the Seattle Seahawks to two Super Bowl berths in his first three seasons — including the team’s first-ever title — and has won more games than any other quarterback to start a career.

If the two sides still can’t come together, Russell Wilson’s future in Seattle could be uncertain. Wilson has one year left on his rookie contract, and the team can place the franchise tag on him through 2018, but that may ensure his departure from the team. Franchise tag is often used as a last resort and not taken too well by players.

There would also be plenty of teams willing to pay Wilson what he’s asking. The NFL has turned into an almost entirely quarterback-driven league, to the point that teams with bottom-10 defenses can win the NFL with the right quarterback, and Wilson could turn many teams into instant contenders.

The Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills stand out as teams that have made a number of other moves to strengthen their teams and could become title contenders with the right quarterback.

If the rumors are true and Russell Wilson can’t ink a deal with the Seattle Seahawks, the quarterback would likely be hitting free agency as he’s turning 30.

[Image via Getty Images/Elsa]