Maybe Russell Wilson wants to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Maybe the Seattle Seahawks really think Wilson isn't as elite as he or his agent believe. Maybe all of the hullabaloo over Wilson's contract will amount to nothing - he's still under contract for one more season after all, and the team still has the opportunity to franchise tag him for the 2016 NFL season. At this point, there's little of which anyone involved in or watching Wilson's contract impasse closely can be certain, other than that if a deal isn't struck by training camp, that will be the end of talks until after the season. While it's already seemed less than likely that a deal gets done prior to the 2015 regular season, we may now have a further indication that Wilson will play out the final year of his rookie contract as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is reporting that there is now "pessimism" around a Wilson deal prior to Seahawks training camp.
"On #Seahawks & Russell Wilson's talks: 2 sides are talking & trying, but there is some pessimism that a deal gets done as the deadline looms," Rapoport tweeted Thursday.
While it's certainly good news that Hawks GM John Schneider and the rest of the Seattle brass haven't given up hope of locking their franchise signal-caller up long-term, it may not ultimately mean much, because as Schneider has intimated time and again, his approach to Wilson's deal is very much influenced by a desire to keep the Seahawks competitive. If he gives into Wilson's demands for a deal with a lot of guaranteed money, that handcuffs him elsewhere on the roster.
And considering Wilson has been joined by linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Kam Chancellor and defensive end Michael Bennett as players looking to upgrade their current deals, Schneider's hands are suddenly very full.
Of course, no matter the importance of all the other players listed above, they're not quarterbacks. And as has been proven time again, no franchise can find sustained success in the NFL without an elite signal-caller.
Wilson and the Hawks will continue to haggle over price and they may not get a deal done this offseason, but there's little chance of him ending up anywhere other than Seattle unless and until his demands become so astronomical as to force Schneider's hand or he's passed his sell-by date.
