SEATTLE — Wednesday marks a full year since one of the most consequential trades in Seattle Seahawks history.
On March 8, 2022, the Seahawks sent Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for multiple first-round picks, several other draft selections and a trio of players which included quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris.
At the time, it appeared the Seahawks were headed for a rebuild, as longtime linebacker Bobby Wagner also was let go by the organization the following day.
A quarterback battle was being set up by head coach Pete Carroll between the newcomer Lock and Wilson's backup in Seattle the previous few seasons, Geno Smith.
In Denver, there was mass celebration as the Broncos looked to be making a move to become championship contenders after a number of years without a franchise quarterback. After the trade was made official, Denver inked Wilson to a five-year contract extension worth reportedly $242 million.
What happened in the subsequent 12 months was envisioned by almost no one, although those within the Seahawks' building never wavered in their faith that the organization was far from entering a complete rebuild.
Recent reporting from The Athletic indicates that this franchise-altering move was decided after Wilson came to Seahawks ownership and requested that both Carroll and general manager John Schneider be removed from their posts at the top of the front office.
Wilson has vehemently denied making such a request, but he nevertheless seemed to get a lot more freedom and autonomy with his new organization in the Mile High City.
Wilson had his own private office in the Broncos' facility, and reportedly had his own personal coaches and staff with access to the team facility.
In what felt like a perfect stroke of fate, it just happened to turn out that the Seahawks and Broncos would be facing off in Seattle in Week 1 when the full 2022 NFL schedule was released in May.
That nationally-televised clash, which the Seahawks narrowly won 17-16 at Lumen Field, was the first indication that perhaps this trade wasn't going to work out the way many predicted.
The Seahawks wound up going 9-8 behind a strong season from Smith, culminating in a Comeback Player of the Year Award at the NFL Honors in February.
The Broncos, on the other hand, never were able to get their offense going with Wilson and first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Denver ended up going 5-12, with Hackett being fired before the season finale and Wilson being berated by teammates on the sideline on multiple separate occasions.
Wilson became the most-mocked player in the NFL, even catching heat from an animated Patrick Star during the Nickelodeon broadcast of a Broncos game.
Carroll and Schneider cemented themselves in Seahawks lore by successfully mitigating the departure of a franchise quarterback and building a roster that looks prepared to compete for the playoffs for years to come.
In addition to all the on-field success, the Seahawks used the bounty from the trade with Denver to draft left tackle Charles Cross at No. 9 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Seattle previously hadn't had a first-round pick in 2022 due to the Jamal Adams trade.
Now with the 2023 draft less than two months away, the Seahawks own the No. 5 overall pick thanks to the Broncos' futile season, as well as the team's own No. 20 overall pick.
Although Lock did not play a regular-season snap in 2022 behind Smith, both Fant and Harris played significant roles for the Seahawks on top of all the draft capital Seattle acquired.
Although the last year since the trade has done considerable harm to Wilson's overall legacy -- both on and off the field -- his impact on Seattle should not be forgotten.
Wilson helped lead the Seahawks to the organization's first Super Bowl victory, and his work in the western Washington community made him the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Once we are years removed from this move, and Wilson's career in the NFL is complete, it is not hard to imagine that he will be welcomed back and added to the Seahawks' Ring of Honor for his contributions.
For now, there is no question the Seahawks won this trade and are far better positioned for the future than Wilson and the Broncos are.
He might seem more like Mr. Limited at the moment, but we'll see where Wilson and the Seahawks stand in another 365 days.