INDIANAPOLIS — Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll put Russell Wilson rumors to bed at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, saying the team is not looking to move the 33-year-old quarterback.
Wilson, who has spent 10 seasons with the Seahawks, has been a rumored potential trade target over the past two years for a number of teams, with increased speculation after Seattle's 7-10 season that the team would be listening to trade offers for him.
During last year's offseason, Wilson told the Seahawks he wanted to stay in Seattle, but his agent did list four teams that he'd accept trades to. ESPN's Adam Schefter said they were the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.
This will likely be a dramatic offseason of quarterback movement in the NFL, but apparently not for Seattle, after all.
“That’s commonplace for us to have conversations with teams about all of the players, particularly marquee players, and that’s not changed,” Carroll said on the podium at the combine. “It’s been the same every year we’ve been here so it’s the same as it’s been. We have no intention of making any move there.”
Locked On Seahawks podcast host Corbin Smith reported Carroll was even more definitive when he met with local writers off podium.
Carroll said general manager John Schneider has given a standard message when teams may call: “We’re not shopping the quarterback.”
SUBSCRIBE to the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast, free and available on all platforms
Carroll also said he and Wilson have stayed in consistent communication through the offseason.
Wilson has two years remaining on his current contract with the Seahawks.
This past season was the first time in four years the Seahawks missed the playoffs and the first time they finished with a losing record since Wilson arrived.
Wilson missed multiple games with a finger injury. In 14 games, he threw for 3,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
There had been some noise since the conclusion of the season that Wilson could potentially be interested in linking up with Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh after Ben Roethlisberger's retirement. There was also sizeable rumors about Wilson and the Saints since that was one of his four teams, but then Sean Payton retired.
And, there was some brief noise about Wilson and the Eagles possibly being a match, given that Philadelphia has three first round picks in this year's draft as potential trade capital.
Nonetheless, it sounds like Wilson will be back in Seattle. The Seahawks are looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2014 season. They may find some motivation after watching two of their division rivals face each other in the NFC Championship Game.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
SUBSCRIBE to the daily Peacock and Williamson NFL Show, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Or find the daily Locked On podcast for YOUR NFL team here!