Russell Wilson's former Seahawks teammate says his Broncos trade could be the biggest 'heist' in NFL history

It was a difficult first season for Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson in Denver.

After the Broncos made a blockbuster deal to land Wilson last offseason, they went 5-12 in his first season there, putting together one of the more disappointing seasons in the NFL in 2022.

Denver gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

Former Seahawks linebacker KJ Wright, who played with Russell Wilson in Seattle, recently spoke about the trade on the NFL Network.

“When I look at this Russell Wilson situation, this could potentially go down as the biggest trade heist in NFL history. We’re talking two first-round picks, we’re talking two second-round picks, we’re talking a bunch of good football players – Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, Drew Lock,” Wright said. “And we’re talking about they gave this man five years and paid him a lot of money to say, ‘You are our guy for the next five years. Russell Wilson, we’re putting all of our eggs into you.’ And all they’ve gotten so far is five wins and a fired head coach.”

The Seahawks turned their picks into several really talented and young players, meanwhile the Broncos gave up several potential future playmakers in order to land Wilson.

Wright believes that as things stand, the trade looks like a major mistake for the Broncos.

“Right now this is looking very scary. This is looking ugly. And the Seahawks, they hit on their draft picks. They got Tariq Woolen, they got two offensive linemen that started as rookies, they got the best wide receiver in this draft in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon. They are winning right now,” Wright said. “And so for Russell, his legacy is on the line. John Schneider and coach [Pete] Carroll are looking like geniuses right now. So it’s not over. It’s just one year. But right now it’s looking pretty scary. I need Russ to get this figured out this year, because his legacy is definitely on the line.”

Wright added that it’s possible Russell Wilson can turn things around and do better under a new coaching staff. But if not, his time in Denver will definitely hurt his legacy.

“Win ball games. That’s all that matters. Everyone is depending… people’s jobs are on the line. Ownership, they put so much into you. Nathaniel Hackett came for his first year as a head coach, and he’s one-and-done because of the lack or production,” Wright said. “‘Hey, you were great in Seattle, now I come here and we win five games.’ And so people are losing jobs right now because of poor performances. He can bounce back. He does know it. The fanbase is letting him know. The media is letting him know… ‘Hey bro, let’s get back to the drawing. Hey bro, let’s do what we do best… get back to winning football.’ And that’s all that matters.”