In 2012 the Seattle Seahawks drafted quarterback Russell Wilson out of the University of Wisconsin. Fast forward a decade later and Wilson changed the landscape of football in Seattle. Wilson helped win the Seahawks two super bowls. Add in his nine pro bowls and it’s pretty clear he is the best football player to ever play for the Seattle Seahawks. Sadly for Wilson and the 12th man, those super bowl days are far behind them. The Seahawks went 7-10 and finished dead last in a very competitive NFC West. With the rest of the division getting better and the Seahawks only regressing, it’s time for the Seahawks to commit to a rebuild. In order to do that, they must let go of their hero. Wilson is now 33 years old and does not have time to take part in a rebuild. In what may be setting up to be a crazy off-season, here are the top five teams that I could see going all in on a Russell Wilson trade.

My pick: Denver Broncos

This is maybe the best QB away from being a real threat. Last season in a super competitive AFC West, the Denver Broncos managed to go 7-10, even with the ambissmal play of Teddy Bridgewater. Imagine now what that team could do with Wilson at the helm? This is a team with a projected $38 million in cap. They can trade for Wilson and still have room to improve the offensive line and secondary.

Wilson will also have a ton of options on an offensive that is looking to rejuvenate under new head coach, Nathaniel Hackett. Star wideout Cortland Sutton got his big extension this season. Give Wilson that star wideout with the young and upcoming Jerry Jeudy big time tight end Noah Fant, he’ll be set with plenty of options in the passing attack. Even if Wilson were to have an off game, he would have a powerhouse in Javonte Williams to rely on in the back field.

This offense has weapons to work with. They just need that elite QB to lead them in a packed AFC West. Plus Denver has a solid defense with threats like Justin Simmons, Patrick Surtain II, and Bradley Chubb. This team has assets to move and cap space. Russell Wilson can really help this Denver Broncos team take the next step.

A close second: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins had a wild season. They started off the year 1-7 and looked set on tanking for the first pick, which they may have wanted to do. With the season looking over, the Dolphins would go on a seven game winning streak. They would fight for a spot in the playoffs, but they would finish 9-8 and just fall short. The Dolphins got solid play out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. However, they want to take the next step as a team. That big leap would require getting a big time quarterback in Wilson.

The Dolphins have a projected $63.8 million in cap space this offseason. They could get Wilson and whatever else he wanted. This team is rather young and deep. On the offensive end they provide two talented wideouts in Jaylen Waddle and Devante Parker. They also hope to bring back their star tight end Mike Gesicki. The one downside to the Dolphins’s offense is their offensive line isn’t the strongest. But with the cap room they have, it can easily be improved. Then on the defensive end, the Dolphins have one of the best up and coming. The Dolphins have one of the best corners in football with the ball hawk Xavien Howard.

This defense got a lot of help in the draft the past couple of years. They’ve drafted key players like Christian Wilkins, Jevon Holland and Jaelan Phillips. This off-season Miami picked up a new head coach in Mike McDaniel. McDaniel is a young offensive coordinator who helped come up with the 49ers unique and effective offense. Give that coach a QB like Wilson and they could contend in the AFC.

Another solid shout: Washington Commanders

Like the other two teams listed, the Washington Commanders had an ok season. They challenged for the playoffs, but they fell short at 7-10. One reason for that is a bizarre office that is still being looked into by the NFL. Another reason was a regression in the play of the defense. The Commanders were one of the most feared heading into last season. However, they did not live up to expectations. Washington’s main issue was inconsistent quarterback play. Taylor Heinkie had random games where he looked great, but on more occasions he did not live up to the part. If the Commanders were to get a quarterback like Wilson, it could lead to them becoming a playoff threat.

Even though the defense wasn’t amazing last season, they’re still young with a lot of pieces. One reason their defense had a slip was because of the injury of Chase Young. Now Young is recovered and fully healthy. He is ready to start cooking with the rest of Washington’s scary defensive line. Other stars like Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, Daron Paye, and Matt Ioannidis create a terrifying presence of a defensive line.

The rest of the defense is just as good. They just need an offense they can trust in. That’s why the Commanders are rumored to be all in on trading for a star quarterback. Wilson can easily be that guy. He will already have weapons to work with in that offense. Terry McLaurin is the most underrated receiver in football. If you gave him a quarterback the caliber of Wilson, he could easily jump up in the top ten wideout conversation. The Commander’s offense has two other great pieces in Antonio Gibson and Curtis Samuel.

A bold pick: Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts were one game away from the playoffs. All they had to do was beat the team with the worst record in the league, the Jacksonville Jaguars. With what was seeming like a cake walk to the playoffs, the Colts lost by fifteen points! After such an embarrassment, the Colts front office has seemingly decided that they need to move on from Carson Wentz. Wentz had his lows, but he is a solid quarterback. So if the Colts want to get rid of him so bad, to the point they might cut him, they must be looking big. Russell Wilson can come in and make the Colts a potential superbowl contender.

Out of all of the teams so far, this is the best situation that Wilson could be traded to. The Colts have a top three running back in the league in the young Jonathan Taylor. Their WR1 Michael Pittman Jr took a massive jump this year and proved to be a real WR1. Add those two studs with maybe the best offensive line in football and Wilson has a great offense to work with. With all of that, the Colts still have an amazing defense to work with. The Colts defense has two stars in DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard. Their defense is also splattered in star power like Kenny Moore II, Kwity Paye, and Bobby Okere. Frank Reich has helped build a culture in Indianapolis. If they had a real star at quarterback like Wilson, they could make a real splash in the playoffs next year. 

The very wild pick: Green Bay Packers

I don’t think this is possible cap wise, but cap space just seems like a myth sometimes! So let’s say the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers and get some assets. However, they still feel like they can be a team that can contend. Maybe another star QB can lure star wideout Davante Adams to stay. It also seems like Green Bay isn’t sold on Jordan Love in the slightest. So let’s say Green Bay decides to trade for the man that played at the University of Wisconsin? Wilson could keep Green Bay at the high level they’re at right now. If Green Bay’s front office were to do a little more work, they could push this team into the playoffs. 

All projected cap spaces were taken from CBS Sports

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