Possibly the Eagles really did consider trying to amass Russell Wilson last offseason.
During a radio interview earlier this week, Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop said the “Eagles really wanted him” following the 2021 season — amid a stretch where they considered adding a quarterback along with Jalen Hurts — but that didn’t materialize.
The Eagles are probably content with that now, too, provided that they made Super Bowl LVII with Hurts under center.
“I believe they liked his form of play, and I believe that is smart, right, since it’s just like Jalen Hurts, especially when he was in his prime and just a little bit faster, I believe, than now,” Bishop said on the “Brock and Salk Show.”
“My understanding is at that time limit, Russ desired to stay [in Seattle], after which ultimately, that’s not what happened.”
The Seahawks eventually traded Wilson and a fourth-round pick to the Broncos and received two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris.
The interest from the Eagles was previously reported by Jake Heaps, a quarterbacks coach who reportedly worked with Wilson, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport in March 2022 and April 2023, respectively.
No deal happened between Philadelphia and Denver due to Wilson’s no-trade clause.
And eventually, the Eagles decided they wanted to provide Hurts all the pieces they might to totally evaluate him in 2022, Bishop said in his radio interview, which was certainly one of the advantages of getting the previous Alabama and Oklahoma star on his rookie contract.
Hurts then threw for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns, rushed for 760 yards and 13 more touchdowns and vaulted the Eagles to certainly one of the highest contenders within the league.
In Denver, though, Wilson struggled throughout all the 2022 season — not making the Pro Bowl for just the second time in his profession while throwing only 16 touchdowns in comparison with 11 interceptions.
His 84.4 quarterback rating was the bottom of his NFL profession.