Seahawks' Wilson Trade Leads to Second Super Bowl Title

Seattle's bold move to deal away star QB helped build a championship roster.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Seattle Seahawks' decision to trade away star quarterback Russell Wilson four years ago, a move that was met with skepticism at the time, ultimately helped the franchise build a roster that won its second Super Bowl championship this past season.

Why it matters

Wilson had led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title 12 years ago, but the team made the difficult choice to part ways with the veteran QB in order to acquire valuable draft capital and build a more well-rounded roster. This gamble paid off as the Seahawks were able to use those assets to address other key positions and depth, leading to their second championship.

The details

In a bold move, Seahawks general manager John Schneider traded away Russell Wilson, the team's longtime starting quarterback who had led them to a Super Bowl victory. The trade, which was met with skepticism at the time, allowed the Seahawks to acquire multiple high draft picks that they used to address other needs on the roster and build a more complete team.

  • Four years ago, the Seahawks traded away Russell Wilson.
  • This past season, the Seahawks won their second Super Bowl championship.

The players

John Schneider

The general manager of the Seattle Seahawks who made the decision to trade away Russell Wilson.

Russell Wilson

The star quarterback who led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title 12 years ago, but was later traded away by the team.

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What they’re saying

“The trade, which was met with skepticism at the time, allowed the Seahawks to acquire multiple high draft picks that they used to address other needs on the roster and build a more complete team.”

— John Schneider, General Manager, Seattle Seahawks (wsj.com)

The takeaway

The Seahawks' bold decision to trade away their star quarterback, despite the risks involved, ultimately paid off as they were able to build a more well-rounded roster that led them to a second Super Bowl championship. This demonstrates the importance of making tough decisions and taking calculated risks in order to achieve long-term success in the NFL.