At his peak, there may not have been a better QB in the NFL than Russell Wilson, but will the QB end up in the Hall of Fame one day? When the Broncos acquired Russell Wilson two years ago, most of Broncos Country was rejoicing. However, some within the fanbase and across the NFL noticed that Wilson was beginning to show signs of decline.
His 2021 season was fine, and statistically he was pretty good, but the numbers didn't tell the whole story. And the same could be said for 2023 as well. Throwing 26 touchdowns on just eight interceptions is efficient QB play, but when you dig deeper and watch the film, it's clear that the Super Bowl QB is not what he once was.
I think in the next few years, Wilson is going to have a realization that his future in the NFL is all but over, so he'll then probably retire. It's clear that he still thinks he can be a starter in this league, and there may be some openings for him for the short-term. But he's set to enter his age-36 season, and what he does best, playing out of structure and using his legs, is not something that can be sustained as a QB ages.
He's gotten slower, which might seem like a small change, but for Wilson's game, is a huge one. And let's face it; does anyone truly envision Russell Wilson being a backup QB? I honestly believe he'd rather retire than be a QB2. Whenever the time comes for Wilson to hang it up, the debate will immediately begin as to if he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Does he? Some people may immediately say no, and I think that's due to recency bias. People will look at the last stretch of his career and how average at best he was at times and perhaps use that as basis for their judgment. However, I think his entire body of work is worthy of a bust in Canton.
He's third all-time in rushing yards by a QB, but will likely be passed up by Lamar Jackson in 2024. So, he's effectively fourth all-time. He's currently 19th all-time in passing yards, but could easily end his career near being 12th all-time, perhaps passing John Elway. He's got 43,653 passing yards, and John Elway, who sits at 12th, has 51,475 yards. It's realistic to think that Wilson can climb this ranking.
Wilson is 4th all-time in passer rating; his rating is right at 100. Depending on where he goes, this number could drop, but where it stands now certainly helps his HOF case. He ranks 13th all-time in passing touchdowns, just eight behind Fran Tarkenton. Matthew Stafford has 357 and ranks 11th all-time, so Wilson might have a hard time getting past Stafford, so ending his career with the 12th most all-time is another strong part of a potential HOF case.
He's also won a Super Bowl, been to another, has a career 9-7 record in the postseason. With 115 career wins, Russell Wilson ranks 15th all-time, and his career winning percentage of .614 is also quite impressive. With nine Pro Bowl nods, that number ranks as tied for the 6th-most among quarterbacks in NFL history.
So, he'll likely end his successful NFL career with the 4th most rushing yards, 12th most passing yards, top five all-time in passer rating, 12th most passing touchdowns, top-10 in quarterback wins, one Super Bowl title, a winning playoff record, and potentially double-digit Pro Bowl nods. What more would he have to do to earn a Hall of Fame nod?
Frankly, Russell Wilson is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, and his potential status in the "all-time" discussion is plenty good enough to be enshrined in Canton.