Russell Wilson is headed to Denver, with the Seahawks getting a large package of picks and players in return.
The Broncos get Wilson, the 33-year-old franchise quarterback who once beat them in a Super Bowl. Per published reports, the Seahawks in return will receive two first-round picks, two second-round picks and three players. The package includes Drew Lock, who’ll likely serve as a backup or bridge quarterback. And also Noah Fant, giving the Seahawks a nice one-two punch of pass-catching tight ends (Seattle last year, recall, signed Gerald Everett).
The deal makes the AFC West one of the most quarterback-heavy divisions in the history of the league, with the four projected starters being Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr. There are plenty of other capable quarterbacks in that conference, including Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson.
Seattle, meanwhile, is now looking like a rebuilding team – the likely fourth-place finisher in the also-tough NFC West.
In Denver, Wilson will have plenty of capable wide receivers to work with, including Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler. With Wilson being one of the best in the league at throwing the deep ball, that offense should get a lot more explosive in a hurry.
I played around some with the numbers in general for moving quarterbacks. By my count, 36 times in the last 20 years, a quarterback has finished with top-20 numbers, then moved to a new team in the offseason. That includes a wide variety of guys, of course, at different spots in their careers (some being bridge-type options, while others were truly elite players). Of this group, eight (tagged with black dots) put up top-10 numbers in their first year with their new team.
The last two Super Bowls have been won by transplanted quarterbacks in their first seasons with new teams: Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford.
TOP-20 QUARTERBACKS WITH NEW TEAMS | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Old | Pass | TDP | Run | TDR | Pts | Rk |
2003 | Brian Griese, Mia. | Den. | 813 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 62.2 | 44 |
2003 | Jake Plummer, Den. | Ariz. | 2182 | 15 | 205 | 3 | 207.6 | 20 |
2004 | Quincy Carter, NYJ | Dall. | 498 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 38.9 | 46 |
2004 | Jeff Garcia, Cle. | S.F. | 1731 | 10 | 169 | 2 | 155.5 | 28 |
2004 | Kerry Collins, Oak. | NYG | 3495 | 21 | 36 | 0 | 262.4 | 15 |
2005 | Vinny Testaverde, NYJ | Dall. | 777 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 55.3 | 44 |
2005 | • Drew Bledsoe, Dall. | Buff. | 3639 | 23 | 50 | 2 | 293.0 | 5 |
2006 | Gus Frerotte, St.L. | Mia. | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 | 66 |
2006 | Kerry Collins, Ten. | Oak. | 549 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33.5 | 50 |
2006 | Aaron Brooks, Oak. | N.O. | 1105 | 3 | 124 | 0 | 79.7 | 41 |
2006 | Steve McNair, Balt. | Ten. | 3050 | 16 | 119 | 1 | 234.4 | 19 |
2006 | • Drew Brees, N.O. | S.D. | 4418 | 26 | 32 | 0 | 332.1 | 2 |
2007 | David Carr, Car. | Hou. | 635 | 3 | 59 | 0 | 49.7 | 50 |
2008 | Brett Favre, NYJ | G.B. | 3472 | 22 | 43 | 1 | 274.1 | 11 |
2009 | Matt Cassel, K.C. | N.E. | 2924 | 16 | 189 | 0 | 231.1 | 21 |
2009 | Kyle Orton, Den. | Chi. | 3802 | 21 | 71 | 0 | 281.2 | 16 |
2009 | • Jay Cutler, Chi. | Den. | 3666 | 27 | 173 | 1 | 318.6 | 10 |
2009 | • Brett Favre, Min. | NYJ | 4202 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 343.6 | 7 |
2010 | Jason Campbell, Oak. | Was. | 2387 | 13 | 222 | 1 | 199.6 | 26 |
2010 | Donovan McNabb, Was. | Phil. | 3377 | 14 | 151 | 0 | 240.0 | 21 |
2011 | Carson Palmer, Oak. | Cin. | 2753 | 13 | 20 | 1 | 197.7 | 24 |
2012 | Tim Tebow, NYJ | Den. | 39 | 0 | 102 | 0 | 12.2 | 50 |
2013 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ten. | Buff. | 2454 | 14 | 225 | 3 | 220.2 | 24 |
2013 | Carson Palmer, Ariz. | Oak. | 4274 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 310.0 | 15 |
2018 | Tyrod Taylor, Cle. | Buff. | 473 | 2 | 125 | 1 | 50.2 | 42 |
2018 | Alex Smith, Was. | K.C. | 2180 | 10 | 168 | 1 | 171.8 | 33 |
2018 | Case Keenum, Den. | Min. | 3890 | 18 | 93 | 2 | 287.8 | 19 |
2018 | • Kirk Cousins, Min. | Was. | 4298 | 30 | 123 | 1 | 360.1 | 8 |
2019 | Case Keenum, Was. | Den. | 1707 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 136.6 | 31 |
2020 | Jameis Winston, N.O. | T.B. | 75 | 0 | -6 | 0 | 3.2 | 69 |
2020 | Philip Rivers, Ind. | LAC | 4169 | 24 | -8 | 0 | 305.7 | 20 |
2020 | • Tom Brady, T.B. | N.E. | 4633 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 410.3 | 7 |
2021 | Teddy Bridgewater, Den. | Car. | 3052 | 18 | 106 | 2 | 249.2 | 24 |
2021 | Jared Goff, Det. | LAR | 3245 | 19 | 87 | 0 | 255.0 | 23 |
2021 | • Matthew Stafford, LAR | Det. | 4886 | 41 | 43 | 0 | 416.6 | 5 |
2022 | Russell Wilson, Den. | Sea. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan