Russell Wilson heading to the Las Vegas Raiders? That’s what the oddsmakers are saying.
The Seattle Seahawks quarterback has been in the news in the last couple of days for his comments on the kind of protection he gets in the pocket and his desire to be part of the team’s decision-making group when it comes to future personnel hiring. These statements have fueled speculations that Wilson could end up in a trade that would send Wilson away from the only home he’s known in his entire NFL career.
Raiders as Betting Favorites
With the rumors spreading like wildfire, the best NFL betting sites have been quick to put their odds on the issue. And according to online sportsbook SportsBetting.ag, the Las Vegas Raiders are the +300 odds on favorite to land Wilson in a trade.
Raiders odds-on favorite as potential trade destination for QB Russell Wilson https://t.co/h6VYUhX7hv
— Raiders Wire (@TheRaidersWire) February 11, 2021
It’s interesting to note though that the main source of this Russell Wilson to the Raiders talk is a CBS report by Jason La Canfora. According to Canfora, the Raiders need to make a big splash this season and the best way to do it would be to add a superstar for its “sparking Taj Mahal” of a football stadium. Wilson would be the perfect superstar and head coach John Gruden is a known fan of his.
Other than La Canfora’s theory, there is no other report that suggests that the Raiders are interested in Wilson. The Raiders, however, are reportedly interested in trading their quarterback, but not the starter. Las Vegas is reportedly shopping back-up up Marcus Mariota while starting QB Derek Carr is not available via trade. Carr has been the Raiders’ starter since the team drafted him in 2014.
2020 NFL Man of the Year
Wilson was recently named as the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year, an award that honors a player not only for his excellence on the field but also for his volunteer and charity work. But that’s not the only reason why Russell Wilson is such a hot commodity around the league.
Russell Wilson has been named the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year 👏 @DangeRussWilson pic.twitter.com/1iRbxZAEAz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 7, 2021
Regarded as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, Wilson is a seven-time Pro Bowler and has a Super Bowl ring on his resume. Since Seattle drafted him 75th overall during the 2012 NFL draft, the Seahawks have never had a losing record and have made the playoffs in all but one season.
Last season, Wilson ranked second in the league with 40 passing touchdowns and was 9th in passing yards at 4,212 while throwing only 13 interceptions. As with all of his previous seasons, he didn’t miss a single game. Wilson also led the Seahawks to a 12-4 record, their best mark since 2014. The Seahawks clinched the NFC West title for the first time since 2014 but lost 30-20 to the L.A. Rams in the wild card game.
Getting Sacked Too Much
Wilson has been sacked 394 times in his NFL career, including 47 times last season. He’s been sacked at least 41 times in each of the last six seasons and he’s ranked third or fourth in the league in no. of QB sacks. This past season, only Carson Wentz (50) and DeShaun Watson (49) experienced more sacks than the Seattle QB in 2020.
Can’t forget the 49 times he’s been sacked in the playoffs 😅
The Seahawks have been unable to protect Russell Wilson, and it is now causing problems for the quarterback.
“I’m frustrated with getting hit too much,” -Wilson
He would like input on the team’s personnel decisions pic.twitter.com/8p0xAjsGip— SmarterThanTheLeague (@SmarterTTL) February 10, 2021
Interestingly, both Wentz and Watson are rumored to be leaving their respective teams via trade and most of the top NFL betting sites are also listing the Raiders among the top names to land Wentz and Watson although SportsBetting.ag says that the Dolphins and Jets ( both at +350) are the odds on favorite to land Watson while the Chicago Bears (+100) are the top pick to land Wentz.
No one has been sacked more times in his first nine NFL seasons than Russell Wilson so you can’t blame him for getting frustrated. But it may not mean that he’s burning bridges. It could be a wake-up call both for him and the Seahawks. And maybe, they’ll come out better from this, together.
Steve Richardson
Steve Richardson started writing content online in 2013 and has yet to slow down. Since joining our team at GamblingSites.org, he has covered sports, casino news, gambling laws, and much more! …
