Russell Wilson made the Pro Bowl this year. Before anyone gets too excited, so did rookie Drake Maye of the New England Patriots. Maye was fine, but he is quarterback rating was 24th in the league. Wilson and Maye made the Pro Bowl because other AFC quarterbacks chose not to play in the games. The former Seattle Seahawks QB did not truly deserve to make it either.
Wilson was not bad this season. His touchdown to interception ratio was a good 16:5. His quarterback rating was 95.6. Solid stuff. He also, though, could not elevate his team near the end of the season and the Pittsburgh Steelers finished by losing their last five games.
Wilson is now a free agent once again, and he is unlikely to end up back with Pittsburgh. Where he does go is seemingly getting more and more obvious.
Former Seahawks Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson seemed destined to team up again with the Raiders
Before we go much further here, there are some 12s who might say, "Who cares about Wilson?" The truth is that Wilson is the most successful quarterback in Seahawks history. He left while still seemingly in his prime (as it turns out, he wasn't), and one does not forget the most important ex of their life. Or the life of the franchise, in this case.
Plus, the team Wilson is probably destined to go to will have him reunite with the most successful head coach in Seattle football history. Pete Carroll is now the new coach with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Raiders are in need of a quarterback. They could, of course, draft one with the number six pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but they could also use a bridge quarterback.
Wilson left Seattle after reportedly going to ownership to have Carroll and general manager John Schneider fired. Instead of letting Carroll and Schneider go, the team traded Wilson. Would Carroll still hold a grudge against Wilson and not want him to come to Las Vegas? Unlikely.
Other players left the Seahawks and said some negative things about the team, such as Richard Sherman, but after they stopped playing in the NFL, Carroll invited some of them, including Sherman, back to help teach young players in training camp. The coach apparently does not hold grudges. He understands people make mistakes.
Carroll also needs a quarterback he can trust, and he coached Wilson for a decade in Seattle. Wilson needs a coach who understands him, and that would certainly be Carroll.
The coach was also asked on the What the Football podcast about Wilson joining him with the Raiders. He did not dismiss the potential move.
Carroll said, "It’s so early and we’re just in the midst of trying to find the puzzle pieces, not even putting them together yet, so I can’t even say. Free agency hasn’t come yet...I promise you, if you’re a real competitor you’re not letting options get away from you."
The quarterback is unlikely to be very expensive in free agency as he is now beginning to bounce around the league a bit (meaning no team is sold on him enough to make him their long-term quarterback), and he is 36 years old. The Raiders have $95 million to spend in free agency, the second-most in the league. Las Vegas could easily sign Wilson and have a lot of money left over.
In other words, Seahawks fans have a good chance of seeing an important part of their favorite team's past be part of the present Las Vegas Raiders. At least, Seattle is not scheduled to play the Raiders again until 2026.
