Russell Wilson rumors: Time running out on Bears, other teams to possibly acquire QB from Seahawks, per report

If talks don't start soon, the odds of Wilson leaving Seattle greatly diminish

Russell Wilson's tenuous future in Seattle has been one of the NFL's main offseason storylines. Wilson, reportedly unhappy with the Seahawks' lack of pass protection, has provided Seattle a list of five teams he would be willing go to in the event he is traded. One of those teams is the Bears, who are prepared to throw a boatload of picks at Seattle in exchange for Wilson, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. 

Though the official start of free agency has yet to begin, teams are also on the clock as it relates to possibly acquiring Wilson. He has been receiving calls for weeks, but Seahawks general manager John Schneider does not appear to be engaged in any trade conversations for Wilson, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. If conversations do not begin soon, it's very likely that teams like the Bears may decide to move in another direction, per Rapoport. 

Monday marked the first day of the NFL's legal tampering period, where teams are permitted to contact and enter contract negotiations with players who will become unrestricted free agents on March 17. At 4 p.m. ET on March 17, any agreed-upon contracts made during the legal tampering period can be finalized. Wilson is not a free agent, but he would be willing to waive his trade clause if a deal was reached with one of his approved teams, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

The teams Wilson would reportedly agree to be traded to include the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders and Bears. The Cowboys are off the table, as Dallas recently inked Dak Prescott to a new four-year contract. The Raiders have Derek Carr, but general manager Mike Mayock has not publicly committed to Carr being his longterm quarterback. Shortly following Drew Brees' retirement, the Saints extended Taysom Hill's contract. The Saints are also reportedly interested in re-signing Jameis Winston. 

That leaves the Bears as the front-runner to possibly land Wilson, a seven-time Pro Bowler who led Seattle to the franchise's first Super Bowl win. ESPN has reported that the Bears plan to let Mitchell Trubisky depart in free agency and replace him with a veteran quarterback either in free agency or in a trade. In Chicago, Wilson would join a roster that was good enough to clinch a wild-card berth in 2020. 

On paper, the Bears have time to orchestrate a deal that would bring Wilson to Chicago. They technically have until Day 1 of the 2021 draft -- April 29 -- to pull off the trade. That being said, it appears that the Bears are not interested in waiting that long, which means that talks need to begin soon if Wilson is going to lead the Bears -- or any other team -- next season.