3. Schematic misfit
We'll truly never know if head coach Sean Payton ever saw a long-term future with Russell Wilson as his franchise quarterback, however, we do know that the systematic marriage between the two will never pan out and unfortunately was never meant to be. Think of it as trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Wilson completed just 17 passes over the middle of the field in 2023 in a West Coast scheme that highly benefits route runners in the intermediate part of the field. That is a big no-no.
Throwing over the middle needs some design help to unlock the area, but a vast majority of passing concepts have some way to attack that area.
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 18, 2024
And no matter how I splice up the stats for throwing between the numbers, the same two QBs are always at the bottom. This is a thing. pic.twitter.com/bB5JLuM6ca
It's been an issue for Wilson ever since entering the league and was becoming a massive issue closer towards his exit from Seattle in 2022. Wilson gravely struggles to read the middle of the field like how an average starting quarterback is expected to. He's not the right fit in Payton's system and isn't capable of consistently winning football games without defensive takeaways and an elite running game.
We witnessed that in Seattle as well. I'm almost certain Payton wants someone who can "point guard" his offense and prioritize taking care of the football. Wilson does not fit that mold at this point in his career.