NFL Icons: Russell Wilson, the unlikely superstar

In the NFL, where size, arm strength and pedigree determine the archetype for the game’s top gun-slingers, Russell Wilson has spent over a decade reshaping the template for what a franchise quarterback can be.

“I’ve been told I’m too short my whole life,” Wilson said early in his career. “That’s nothing new to me.” It’s the kind of line that’s become a mantra for a player whose résumé includes nine Pro Bowl selections, two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy.

And now, at age 36, Wilson embarks on one of the most unlikely chapters of his football life – a new beginning with the New York Giants.

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A third-round pick in the 2012 draft, Wilson was never supposed to be the face of the Seattle Seahawks. That year, Seattle signed free agent quarterback Matt Flynn to a $26 million deal and the former Green Bay Packer was widely assumed to be the team’s new starter.

But when the 5ft 11ins rookie out of Wisconsin showed up to training camp, Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell saw something different.

“He came in and just blew everybody away,” Carroll recalled in a 2019 interview. “He was in total command, and it didn’t take long before we realized he was our guy.”

Wilson won the starting job in preseason and never looked back. He threw for 3,118 yards and 26 touchdowns as a rookie, tying Peyton Manning’s then-record for most touchdown passes by a first-year quarterback. More importantly, he helped the Seahawks reach the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The very next year, Wilson and Seattle ascended. Behind the Legion of Boom defense and Wilson’s steady, improvisational brilliance, the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII in dominant fashion, blowing out the Denver Broncos 43-8. Wilson tossed two touchdowns and added 206 passing yards in a performance that showcased his poise and precision on the biggest stage.

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Over the next eight seasons, Wilson cemented himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Between 2013 and 2020, he threw for over 4,000 yards in four separate seasons, totalled 267 touchdown passes with just 81 interceptions and routinely led the Seahawks to the playoffs.

His career passer rating of 100.2 currently ranks fifth in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts.

What made Wilson so difficult to defend – and so thrilling to watch – wasn’t just his deep-ball accuracy or deceptive speed. It was the moments when everything broke down that he thrived.

“I’ve never seen anyone turn a broken play into a touchdown like Russ can,” said former Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin. “We’d be running our routes and suddenly you just had to find space because you knew Russ was going to do something crazy.”

Wilson’s footwork and vision outside the pocket were unmatched. His ability to escape pressure turned certain sacks into 30-yard completions. His 5,307 career rushing yards (fifth all-time among quarterbacks) are a testament to that, but his creativity went beyond scrambling – it was his ability to remain a passer in chaos that defined him.

In March 2022, Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in one of the most significant deals in recent NFL history. The Broncos sent multiple first-round picks and players to Seattle in exchange, hoping Wilson would be the final piece to a Super Bowl-calibre roster.

But what followed was the most difficult stretch of Wilson’s career.

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In his first season with Denver, Wilson finished with a 4–11 record as a starter, threw just 16 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions and posted the worst QBR of his career (36.7).

A year later, under new head coach Sean Payton, Wilson showed some improvement. He threw 26 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions in 2023. But the Broncos missed the playoffs again. Late in the season, Wilson was benched in favour of Jarrett Stidham, prompting questions about his future.

“It didn’t end the way I wanted it to,” Wilson said. “But I believe I’m far from done.”

He rebounded by guiding the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs after signing a short-term deal with the franchise. And now Wilson has found a new home with the New York Giants, signing a one-year deal.

For the Giants, who finished a dismal 3-14 last season, Wilson represents both a veteran presence and a bridge to their next era. For Wilson, it’s one last chance to remind the NFL of who he still can be.

“I love the underdog mentality,” Wilson said during his introductory press conference in March. “That’s kind of been my approach every day of my life. A lot of people tell you that you can’t do something. I love challenges. I love adversity.”

The Giants’ young offensive core – highlighted by top draft pick Malik Nabers – gives Wilson intriguing tools to work with. Head coach Brian Daboll, known for his work with quarterbacks, may be the perfect fit for an aging passer looking to reinvent himself.

“I think we’re building something special here,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of talent on this team, and I want to be a part of helping them reach their full potential.”

Russell Wilson’s legacy is already secure in many ways. He’s the Seahawks’ all-time leader in nearly every passing category. He’s one of just five quarterbacks in NFL history with over 35,000 passing yards and more than 5,000 rushing yards. He’s also played in 19 playoff games, winning nine of them.

And yet, Wilson’s story doesn’t feel finished. The Giants may or may not be the final stop in his NFL career, but if we’ve learned anything about Russell Wilson over the past 13 seasons, it’s that he is driven by others’ doubts.

His fresh start in New York has not seen him escape doubt, either. There are questions, for instance, over how much he still has left in the tank, whether at 36 he can transform what was one of the league’s worst offenses last season and just how soon he might be usurped by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

But for a player who at various stages of his career has been told he’s too short, too old or unable to compete at the highest level any more, those concerns are just more fuel for the fire.

Here are three classic Russell Wilson performances you can relive now via GamePass on DAZN:

• Vs the Houston Texans, 29 October 2017 – 452 yards, four touchdowns
• @ the Cincinnati Bengals, 1 December 2024 – 414 yards, three touchdowns
• Vs the New Orleans Saints, 22 September 2019 – 406 yards, two touchdowns

Get every game of the NFL season, including the playoffs and Super Bowl, with NFL Game Pass on DAZN. More information here