From the moment news broke that Russell Wilson had Chicago on his short-list of preferred trade destinations, Bears fans were enamored with the idea.
But it all came crashing down when the Bears signed backup Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton.
That signing comes after the Bears made "a very aggressive pursuit" of Wilson, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported that the Bears were "very aggressive." He added "the reality is the Seattle wouldn't do it... regardless of what the Bears offered, and it was a lot."
The "not trading him at this time" line from Schefter will certainly still keep Bears' fans hoping Wilson is traded to Chicago in the future. It leaves the door open for a trade at some point.
June 1 always stood out as a date when a Wilson trade would become more feasible because of the cap hit the Seahawks would take for trading him before then. And unlike cutting a player, trades can be agreed upon earlier and designated as post-June 1.
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Some have suggested a trade after the 2021 season would make more sense for the Seahawks, if they were to consider trading Wilson.
There might be some solace in the fact that the Bears aggressively pursued a trade for Wilson, assuming that means the front office explored all options to entice Seattle. And the Bears always lacked appealing assets in that regard (no desirable quarterback, first-round pick in the back half of the draft).
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