Why Cardinals fans should not celebrate the Russell Wilson trade

The Arizona Cardinals and their fans know that the departure of Russell Wilson probably means a rebuilding year for the Seattle Seahawks. 

Now that legendary Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is now a member of the Denver Broncos, the Arizona Cardinals and their fans realize that, barring something crazy, their team is no longer the weak sister in the NFC West. Or projected weak sister, as many analysts thought them to be this time last year.

We know the story. The Cardinals jumped out to a 7-0 start and shocked everyone before their season sunk between November and January. Odds are, the Seahawks are going nowhere in 2022, as the franchise also cut ties with longtime linebacker Bobby Wagner.

But that’s where the rejoicing should end. Yeah, the Cardinals should handle the Seahawks twice this season. But really, they handled Wilson and the Seahawks well since the quarterback’s rookie season in 2012, finishing with an 8-11-1 record over his ten seasons with the franchise.

It’s not like we’re in Cleveland, where Browns fans can rejoice over Ben Roethlisberger‘s retirement. Just a fun fact, Ben was the winningest quarterback at First Energy Stadium until Baker Mayfield came along.

Anyway, back to the Cardinals situation. Overall, they held up relatively well against Wilson and the Seahawks. And heading into this offseason, Wilson should have been the least of their worries.

Arizona Cardinals still have to worry about the rest of the NFC West

If my memory serves me well, Matthew Stafford ended up lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, not Wilson, who watched the action unfold from the press box with Roger Goodell. Wilson, along with every member of the Cardinals, ended up watching the Rams and San Francisco 49ers battle it out for the NFC Title.

That said, it’s smarter to figure out how to wind up in the 49ers and Rams positions. Not rejoice because another division rival traded a legendary quarterback the team performed relatively well against.

When should the Cardinals and their fans celebrate? How about when they win their second George Halas Trophy? And if it happens in 2022, two weeks before Super Bowl LVII, they might just wind up facing their old division rival in the big game.

What I’m ultimately getting to is: It’s unwise to engage in premature celebrations. It’s also wise to realize that to embark on a deep playoff run, you’re going to have to beat some elite quarterbacks.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they won’t need a potential Super Bowl appearance to face Wilson. They will travel to the Mile High City and face Wilson’s Broncos sometime this upcoming season.