Jon Gruden's Old Quote About Russell Wilson Is Going Viral

It would still be a major surprise if Russell Wilson wasn't a Seattle Seahawk next year, and for the foreseeable future. Things got a bit more real today, with the report that Wilson has four prefered trade destinations, should he be moved, including the Las Vegas Raiders.

Earlier this afternoon, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Wilson has not demanded a trade, and still wants to be a Seahawk. However, if the team did look to make a move, Wilson only has four teams that he's interested in heading to: the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, and New Orleans Saints.

It's an interesting list, for sure. The Cowboys and Saints are both franchises with questions at quarterback (Dak Prescott's unsettled contract, and Drew Brees' likely retirement, respectively) but with the talent to win right away. The Bears and Raiders could be contenders with Wilson there, but are less obvious.

What we do know about that last team: the head coach loves him some Russell Wilson, and has even before he emerged as an NFL superstar. Jon Gruden was working for ESPN when the Seahawks selected Wilson out of Wisconsin in the third-round of the 2012 NFL Draft. "I love this pick," he said at the time. "I'm jealous of Seattle. I wish I could coach this kid."

"He can run. You can put some creative passes and runs in for Russell Wilson. He can really hurt you scrambling. He plays his best football when the game is on the line," Gruden continued, listing attribute after attribute that wound up being prophetic for Wilson in Seattle. "He has tremendous anticipation and touch. A lot of courage. If I were Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson, I'd be weary of this kid... If you give this kid a legitimate chance to win the job, he'll win it." Wilson did just that as a rookie, and then won a Super Bowl in year two. He's been considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL ever since. And now, for the first time in his career, he seems unsettled in his current position. Again, it seems very unlikely that he'll be available, but if Gruden thinks the Raiders can get him, it wouldn't be surprise to see him push the front office to be aggressive. [

Jon Gruden on Seattle drafting Russell Wilson back in 2012: “I like this pick. I’m jealous of Seattle. I wish I could coach this kid”

Fast forward 9 years and Gruden’s #Raiders are on the list on teams Russ would accept a trade to... pic.twitter.com/8l3P2yRZft

— CTB (@catchtheblitz) February 25, 2021

">Catch The Blitz]