Seahawks star Wilson denies trade request: I'm here to win it all
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson addressed speculation over his future.
Russell Wilson said he never requested a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, insisting "I'm here to win it all" as he looks to see out his career with the NFL franchise.
Wilson's future has dominated headlines since his agent told ESPN that the star quarterback would only accept a trade to four teams amid his frustrations.
At the end of last season, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback and eight-time Pro Bowler voiced his frustration over the number of hits he had received and spoke of wanting a greater say in team affairs.
Wilson addressed the speculation and drama regarding his relationship with the Seahawks on Thursday.
"Obviously I love Seattle, I love playing here," Wilson said. "I've had a great career here so far. I've always wanted to play here for my full career obviously.
"I think there was some unfortunate frustrations after the season. Obviously you want to win it all and do it all and do everything you can. I think everybody on our team does.
"You want to win it, and I think unfortunately I think it got a little blown out of proportion a little bit."
Wilson appeared to be in MVP contention as Seattle made a 6-1 start to the 2020 season, but a lack of effective pass protection meant the 32-year-old could not maintain that standard.
The 47 sacks he suffered in the regular season were the third-most among NFL QBs.
Wilson has been sacked on a league-high 394 occasions in his Seahawks career, well clear of Matt Ryan (325) in second on that list.
Wilson's completion percentage of 72.3 fell to 61.6 under pressure in 2020, but this was good enough to rank third in the NFL in these situations – behind Teddy Bridgewater (65.9) and Kirk Cousins (62.2).
"I did not request a trade. I've always wanted to play here, and the reality is, I think calls were getting thrown around, this and that, and I think that's just a reality," Wilson added.
"But I think at the end of the day, the real reality is that I'm here and I'm here to win and I'm here to win it all."