Russell Wilson has exceeded all expectations. He led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in his second and third seasons, winning one and losing one.
Wilson has been a durable stalwart for the Seahawks, having passed for at least 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in every season of his NFL career.
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Similar to Tom Brady, he began his career as a game manager on a veteran team and progressed into a prolific passer and leader. Wilson has always protected the football as well, never tossing more than 13 interceptions in a season.
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But for ESPN personality Ryan Clark, that doesn’t make him one of the all-time greats.
On ESPN’s “Get Up,” Clark said:
“Russell Wilson is not an all-time great QB. He’s never going to be in those conversations. We have to stop putting him in that world … that any team that has Russell Wilson can win a Super Bowl.”
.@Realrclark25 said what he said about Russell Wilson 😳
(via @GetUpESPN) pic.twitter.com/t6FeuTnnSU
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 7, 2022
While Wilson may not currently be an all-time great, his trajectory still points that way. Being great isn’t all about posting hollow statistics. Clark must have forgotten how Wilson has carried an offensively inept Seahawks team with a deteriorating defense for over half a decade.
One of the most consistent QBs in the league since he entered, Wilson has proven he’s a winner at the game’s hardest position. Boasting a career 113-60 record, including the postseason, Wilson has consistently made haters look foolish. RW3 also has nine Pro Bowl selections in ten seasons, and eight playoff appearances.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 7, 2022
Dan Orlovsky Raves About Wilson, Combatting Clark’s Claim
Clark’s co-host Dan Orlovsky wasn’t in agreement with the former NFL safety. Orlovsky defended Wilson and raved about his skill set and leadership.
Russell Wilson put on a clinic last night Ian.
"I'm not saying he's definitely gonna leave Seattle but he wants to look around at his options.. I wouldn't rule out a trade" ~@RapSheet#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/cDARjK9iSq
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 4, 2022
“I think Russell Wilson is a team-changing quarterback, a franchise-changing quarterback. Russell Wilson in his last two years has not played up to his standard, his expectation. He’s thrown 65 touchdowns and 19 interceptions — that’s Russell Wilson’s bad. You know how many organizations would take that from there and say that, that is their good?
I agree that he has not played up to his standard. … The Seattle Seahawks have been a different organization because over the past five or six years not because of Wilson’s play but because they drafted god-awfully — their drafts have been atrocious, and that’s the main reason why.
They haven’t fallen off because they decided to let Russ cook, or decided to let Russ throw the football more. They’ve fallen off because they can’t draft anymore.”
After a tumultuous offseason following the 2020-21 season there were rumors of Wilson being traded. Wilson’s agent even presented the Seahawks with a list of teams he’d accept a trade to. Nothing came to fruition from it, and it seems as if he and the franchise are in a much better place.
If You Love Him, Let Him Go | Russell Wilson Trade To The New Orleans Saints Is A Real Possibility
As for Clark’s comments, Wilson is a durable 33-year-old with plenty of time to add to his already lengthy résumé. If he continues to win at the same rate, then without question he’ll be mentioned amongst the best to ever play the position.
At 5-foot-11 and flashing all-time great dual-threat abilities and a prolific cannon for an arm, Wilson has already helped revolutionize the position. If not for the worst call in Super Bowl history by Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Wilson would have two Super Bowl rings instead of one (same as Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes).
His legacy is already solidified, so now it’s about him ending his career in a place where he has the support of other great players, like Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford have been fortunate enough to do after long tenures with the same team.
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