Russell Wilson says he never requested trade, reiterates commitment to Seattle: ‘I’m here and I’m here to win’

At one point this offseason, Russell Wilson seemed as likely to be changing teams as, say, Aaron Rodgers — another longtime star quarterback navigating an apparent rift with his own team. With 2021 training camp on the horizon, the QBs couldn’t be in much different places. As Rodgers skips mandatory minicamp and plans to never wear a Packers uniform again, Wilson is busy reiterating his commitment to the Seahawks. As ProFootballTalk reported, the latter addressed offseason rumors regarding his future Thursday, saying he never requested a trade elsewhere and is focused on winning with the Seahawks.

“I think, first of all, you know, obviously I love Seattle,” Wilson said, per PFT. “I’ve had a great career here so far. I’ve always wanted to play here for my whole career, obviously. I think there were some unfortunate frustrations after the season. Obviously you want to win it all and do it all, and do everything you can. I think everybody on our team does. We all want to win it. I think, unfortunately, it got a little bit blown out of proportion.”

The QB is alluding to early-offseason reports about an allegedly increasingly testy relationship between Wilson and Seahawks brass, as well as follow-up speculation about a potential trade elsewhere. 

Wilson’s own agent, of course, publicly identified four preferred landing spots to ESPN, seemingly confirming the possibility of a move. Now, however, the QB insists he’s only focused on Seattle.

“In terms of the trade talks, I think anytime you play professional sports, there’s always a possibility of something happening, right?” he said. “I think that’s just the reality. I think that there’s a lot of teams out there that people were saying that I was going to, or would go, that I requested a trade. I did not request a trade. I’ve always wanted to play here. The reality is I think calls were getting thrown around and this and that, and I mean, that’s just a reality. But I think, at the end of the day, the real reality is I’m here and I’m here to win.”

This jibes with recent reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who said Wilson “fully understands” his place in Seattle and has re-committed to the Seahawks through at least 2021 after the team agreed to shift its offensive philosophy.