Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Famer? Inside the QB's not-so-complicated cases for and against Canton
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Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Famer? Inside the QB's not-so-complicated cases for and against Canton originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Had Russell Wilson retired after his 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, there's no doubt he would have been a consensus lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But if there's too much unfair weight given to his final four seasons with three other teams, that would be the only way to keep him out of Canton.
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Wilson, who played for the Broncos, Steelers and last, the Giants, has decided to make his retirement from the NFL official as he transitions to studio analyst work on CBS' "NFL Today"pregame show. The 37-year-old's last stint was a bridge turned backup in New York with no good options left in 2026 free agency.
When looking at his stats and accolades as a whole, Wilson has a strong Hall of Fame case. Here's breaking down both sides, "in" vs. "just out":
MORE:Why Russell Wilson picked CBS job over Jets, other NFL options
Why Russell Wilson is a Hall of Famer
10 Pro Bowls
However much weight one wants to give to this all-star nod, hitting double digits here is a good sign for the Hall. Of the 47 players who have been selected to 10 or more Pro Bowls, 37 are in the Hall of Fame. Tom Brady, Trent Williams, Jason Witten and Travis Kelce also have been to 11 or more and will make Canton. Locks Bobby Wagner, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Donald match Wilson with 10 Pro Bowls.
That would make the actual list 44 for 46 when not including Wilson. Matthew Slater (special teams) and Kyle Juszczyk (fullback) might be left out of the Hall based only on the positions they played.
Winning
Whatever weight one wants to give "wins" as a real QB stat, Wilson is No. 12 all-time with 121 in the regular season. Only Brady, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Rodgers, John Elway, Dan Marino, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and Fran Tarkenton are ahead of him. There's a fair chance all of them will end up in the Hall of Fame with their longevity and production.
Wilson also stands out with his Super Bowl ring. Despite some rough seasons later out of Seattle, he has a career .601 winning percentage. He had nine or more wins in his first nine Seahawks seasons. That number was at .661 in Seattle, before his 17-27 fade with Broncos, Steelers and Giants.
Passer rating
Wilson retires with a career mark of 99.3, the fifth-highest efficiency in that modern stat. Only Lamar Jackson, Rodgers, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes are ahead of him. He's ahead of Brady, Brees and other contemporaries. Jackson and Mahomes will be in Canton with Rodgers based on them also having won multiple MVPs. Burrow can get there with several smore healthy seasons.
Durability
Before some later injury issues and benching for younger QBs, Wilson opened his career with the Seahawks from 2012 rookie to 2021 by making 165 total consecutive starts, including the playoffs. That ironman streak puts him behind only Favre, Rivers, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. Again, it was only outside of Seattle that perception changed.
Off the field work
Although Wilson never got a first-team All-Pro nod and wasn't rather close to winning an MVP award, he did get named as the league's Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2020. Wherever he's played, he has been charitable with his time, money and energy in that local community, of late alongside his superstar wife Ciara. His rah-rah personality may be off-putting for some, but to the many children he's helped, there's only one kind version of Wilson.
MORE:Timeline of Russell Wilson's career from Seahawks to retirement
Why Russell Wilson isn't a Hall of Famer
Wilson didn't have the best exit from the Seahawks in getting traded to the Broncos. Denver was a disaster, culminating in a personality clash with Sean Payton. Wilson wasn't so bad as a Bronco, but that team saw the lesser version of him after some his physical tools started to diminish with the Seahawks. Wilson was being far less revered no longer the same elusive, strong-armed athletic passer he was in Seattle.
Entering the league at 23 and taking plenty of wear and tear from massive sack seasons, Wilson's shelf life wasn't meant to be much more than a decade given the pounding he took on a 5-11, 206-pound frame. Through all his mostly ups and few downs as an NFL quarterback, the fact he overcame major concerns about his size to thrive often doesn't get the attention it deserves, almost now an afterthought.
The only way Wilson doesn't get in is his personality rubbing the wrong people the wrong way. Those who ding him for the Broncos, Steelers and Giants journeyman status would have their case to build against Wilson.
But 10 years with the Seahawks is still more than twice as long than the other three spots combined. This would be the same as judging what either Ryan or Rivers did as one-year Colts too much.
Peyton Manning, Brady and Joe Montana were rare in finding that special second act. Rodgers and Wilson didn't get that in their divergence from their original teams, and Favre was somewhere in between. It can be argued that Brees and Roethlisberger hung around a little too long with their one teams.
The knocking of Wilson seems to be tied to those not liking Wilson sounder louder than the ones who do.
Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Famer?
Wilson isn't a first-ballot choice, but he is also not a "borderline" Hall of Famer. He would be fully deserving of getting a call to Canton, even if it doesn't come right after five years when first eligible. This conversation would not be happen had he retired after 10 seasons intead of 14.
Wilson has a better case than Eli Manning when looking at everything, save for having one fewer Super Bowl ring. He's up there with Rivers (who also doesn't have an MVP) and Ryan (who does). By his longevity, consistency and efficiency for most of his career, he separated well from early comparison Cam Newton.
If Wilson doesn't get his gold jacket and bronze bust, it would be considered one of history's biggest Hall of Fame snubs.