What's Russell Wilson's legacy? He looked like a sure Hall of Famer, but then the last 4 years happened
There was no reason for Russell Wilson to retire after the Seattle Seahawks traded him. He was still seen as an elite quarterback. The Denver Broncos thought so too; they traded a ton to acquire him.
In hindsight, had Wilson stepped away then, we’d have an entirely different view of him.
One of the most unusual careers in recent NFL memory is likely coming to an end, as Wilson is finalizing a deal to join CBS Sports, according to ESPN. Wilson could get a call from a team in desperate need during the season and play again, but he got little interest as a free agent through May. It seems likely that his playing days are done. Becoming a commentator seemed like the right move, especially after how poorly the last four years of Wilson’s playing career went.
Those final four years were bad enough that a player who looked like a sure Pro Football Hall of Famer might not be anymore. That’s rare.
Russell Wilson was great for a decade
Pro Bowls can be a flawed way of determining any player’s worth because replacements make for some odd Pro Bowl selections. But Wilson made nine Pro Bowls with the Seahawks and none of them were fraudulent (he made a 10th Pro Bowl with the Broncos, and that one can be discounted as undeserved). In each of those Pro Bowl seasons for Seattle he had at least a 95 passer rating and accounted for at least 26 touchdowns. He made those nine Pro Bowls in 10 seasons with Seattle. Wilson was unquestionably elite and for an extended period.
In NFL history, there are 12 quarterbacks who made nine Pro Bowls. Every one of the other 11 are either in the Hall of Fame or will be the moment they’re eligible. It amounts to a list of the greatest QBs in NFL history: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Johnny Unitas, Wilson, John Elway, Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton and Norm Van Brocklin.
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That’s a heck of a list, and Wilson earned his way on it. It’s not just Pro Bowls that define his career either. Wilson was a big part of the Seahawks winning their first Super Bowl, and helped Seattle make another Super Bowl by making many big plays during a ridiculous comeback against the Packers in the NFC championship game. He was also a Malcolm Butler interception away from winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
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Wilson played on a great Seahawks team. But he was part of that greatness. He had a 101.8 passer rating with the Seahawks, which would currently be third all-time behind Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson. He also added value as a runner, with at least 489 rushing yards in six of his 10 Seahawks’ seasons. In one of the wildest and underrated stats in recent years, the 2017 Seahawks scored 38 touchdowns and Wilson accounted for 37 of them passing or rushing. Seattle posted a winning record in nine of Wilson’s 10 seasons. Put anything else about Wilson aside, it’s hard to say he was not at a Hall of Fame level after 10 seasons.
And if, in what would have been one of the weirdest decisions ever, Wilson had just called it a career when he was traded to the Broncos, there probably wouldn’t be much debate about his legacy or his Hall of Fame credentials. Has any other player potentially played themselves out of a Hall of Fame jacket?
Wilson’s horrible post-Seahawks run
When Wilson was traded to Denver, it was viewed as one of the biggest trades in NFL history. And it ended up helping build the foundation of a Super Bowl champion. But it was Seattle that fleeced Denver.
Wilson spent only two seasons in Denver, a time that will be remembered for the Broncos making one of the worst trades in NFL history and also signing one of the worst contracts ever. On the field, Wilson’s play fell apart, first in a disastrous season with Nathaniel Hackett at head coach, and then he quickly fell out of favor during Sean Payton’s first season in Denver. Off the field, media members and fans took cheap shots at his catchphrases and other personality quirks. The story of him doing high knees on a flight to London might never die.
It didn’t get better after that. In Pittsburgh he didn’t play well and the Steelers didn’t try to re-sign him after a single season there. He went to the Giants and was immediately blamed for New York’s losing, as he was booed often by the home fans. He was quickly replaced by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Since Wilson’s last season in Seattle, he was part of one of the worst trades in NFL history, was practically dismissed by three great coaches (Pete Carroll, Payton and Mike Tomlin), was cut by the Broncos with a then-record $85 million in dead cap hits, played poorly for three different franchises and eventually had very little interest around the NFL at age 37. It seems like four years at the end erased the 10 great seasons that preceded it. That’s hard to do.
There’s a five-year waiting period for the Hall of Fame, and that has to be good for Wilson. Perhaps the memories of the back nine of his career will fade and the scrambling, elite playmaking version of Wilson that he was with the Seahawks will be remembered more clearly.
At very least, it’s a complicated legacy. At his peak, Wilson was a dominant player and also one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in the league. But will people remember that version of him?
