The Philadelphia Eagles could have looked very different in 2022.
Philadelphia reportedly had a deal in place with the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson, but the veteran quarterback nixed the move, Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop said during an appearance on ESPN's Seattle radio affiliate.
"I think what I would say is the Eagles really wanted him. I think they liked his style of play and I think that makes sense because it's similar to Jalen Hurts, especially when he was in his prime and a little bit faster than now.
"My understanding is at that point in time, Russ wanted to stay [in Seattle] and then ultimately that's not what happened."
Quarterback coach Jake Heaps also previously said in 2022 during an appearance on KOA News Talk Sports that Wilson had declined deals to both the Eagles and Washington Commanders.
Heaps said at the time, via Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire:
"The reason why this [deal] happened so quickly and progressed quickly is because, one, Denver was working on this behind the scenes for a while now. The other reason is because the Seahawks were limited, guys. There's not real leverage if there's only a certain amount of teams that Russell Wilson's actually interested in or be willing to waive his no-trade clause for.
"He turned down the Washington [Commanders] offer. He turned down an offer from Philly during the Combine. And the Denver situation was the clear-cut, number one choice for him going into all these other teams."
Wilson eventually agreed to a deal to be sent to the Denver Broncos in March 2022 in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, tight Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris and quarterback Drew Lock.
Not only would that type of deal have resulted in the Eagles sacrificing much of their future, but it also would have meant that Hurts would have been sitting on the bench instead of getting valuable playing time, which wouldn't have been ideal for his development.
Not to mention, Wilson went on to put together one of the worst seasons of his career in 2022, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,524 yards and 16 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 277 yards and three scores.
The Broncos went 4-11 with Wilson under center and finished fourth in the AFC West with a 5-12 record. That said, it's important to note some of Wilson's struggles can be attributed to former head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired near the end of the 2022 campaign.
Hurts, meanwhile, had the best season of his fledgling career in 2022, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns against six interceptions in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 760 yards and 13 scores.
The 24-year-old went on to lead the Eagles to a 14-3 record and a first-place finish in the NFC East for the first time since the 2019 season. He then led Philly on blowout victories over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the postseason en route to a Super Bowl berth, where the Birds fell to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hurts also earned a Pro Bowl selection, was a second-team All-Pro, finished second in MVP voting and finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting last season.
Given his performance in 2022, the Eagles are expecting big things from Hurts in 2023. And, quite frankly, they're probably thankful at this point that Wilson nixed a trade that could have greatly altered their trajectory—and not in a good way.
A deal for Wilson would have made far more sense for the Commanders as they've been stymied by quarterback problems over the last several seasons.
Since 2020, Washington has seen Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell start at least one game for the franchise.
However, given how he performed in 2022, Wilson may have not been better than some of those names mentioned, and acquiring him would have only delayed the inevitable of Washington needing to find a franchise quarterback.
The Commanders enter the 2023 season with Howell, Jacoby Brissett, Jake Fromm and Tim Demorat on their roster at quarterback. While it's likely going to be another season of disappointment in Washington, there's always the possibility the Commanders land a top pick in the 2024 draft, which could be used to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
