Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. From 2008 to 2010, Wilson played college football and college baseball at North Carolina State University, before transferring to Wisconsin for the 2011 season. That year, he led the Badgers to a Big-10 Championship win and a 2012 Rose Bowl berth. He also played minor league baseball in 2010 and 2011. His professional baseball rights are currently held by the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate team, the Somerset Patriots. Wilson’s college football tenure was highlighted by a 93.9 (98th-percentile) College QBR, 10.3 (94th-percentile) College YPA average, and 19.8 (74th-percentile) Breakout Age.
Russell Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft (No. 75 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks. As a rookie, Wilson beat out Matt Flynn for the starting job during training camp. Wilson then went on to tie Peyton Manning’s record 26 touchdown passes by a rookie. Wilson was also named Pepsi’s NFL Rookie of the Year. His second season ended with a 43-8 win over Manning’s Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVII (2013). After clinching a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, Wilson fell to the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots 28-24. Football fans won’t soon forget his being intercepted by Malcolm Butler at the one-yard line with 25 seconds remaining in the most watched program in American television history.
Plus efficiency has been Wilson’s calling card at every level of football. Widely regarded as one of the best dual-threat QBs in league history, he never rushed for fewer than 259 yards in a season until 2021. He also made the playoffs in every year of his career until 2021. The Seahawks awarded him a four-year, $140 million contract extension on April 15, 2019. At the time, the contract made him the league’s highest-paid player. $107 million of the deal was guaranteed. As well, it included a $65 million signing bonus and a full no-trade clause. He was signed through the 2023 season with a maximum cap hit of $40 million.
At 5-11, Wilson is the shortest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, but he has been highly effective despite his stature. His efficiency in the face of a general lack of passing volume in Seattle led fans to believe Pete Carroll should "let Russ cook." The Seahawks came the closest to unleashing Russ as a passer in 2020. That season, Wilson set career-highs with 384 completions, 558 (No. 7) attempts, and 40 (No. 2) passing touchdowns. He also had 4,569 (No. 6) Air Yards, a 110.1 (No. 3) True Passer Rating, an 80.6 (No. 8) QBR, 65 (No. 8) Deep Ball Attempts, and a 23.3 (No. 6) Fantasy Points Per Game average.
In 2021, things in Seattle started to shift. The Seahawks suffered their first losing Season since Wilson arrived, partly due to the fact that he missed the first three games of his career due to a finger injury. Passing volume continued to be limited, but Russ’ efficiency continued. The growing disconnect between Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll eventually led to Wilson's departure from Seattle. He was traded to Denver in early March 2022 in exchange for quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and five draft picks, including two first-rounders.
There were high expectations for Wilson and the Broncos' offense entering 2022. The offense fell flat, however, with Nathaniel Hackett calling plays and directing the offense. Russ had the worst completion percentage of his career (60.5-percent) and fewest touchdown passes (16). His 74.3 True Passer Rating (No. 26) and 67.1 True Completion Percentage were both No. 26 in the league. Hackett was fired after just 15 games as coach and the Broncos traded for Sean Payton. The 2023 season will reveal if Payton can resurrect Wilson's career and a Broncos franchise that floundered in 2022.
