For nearly two years, Russell Wilson has dominated the Seattle sports market, with fans wondering where he will go, if he will stay, and basically what his deal is. After his trade to the Denver Broncos, it looked like it was all to be put to rest.
The Seattle Seahawks would suffer without a legit QB under center, and the Broncos were destined to be Super Bowl contenders for years, with Russ leading them to the promised land.
Boy, have we been wrong.
It is a disaster in Denver just five weeks into the season. The team is 1-4, Russ has played well under expectations, players seem outwardly frustrated, and his personality is coming out in ways that maybe no one could have imagined.
While all that is a nightmare for Broncos fans, it’s a dream for Hawks fans. On top of it all, Geno Smith has played much better than Russ this season. Smith has more completions, fewer attempts, more yards, touchdowns, yards per attempt, fewer interceptions, and more rushing yards. For a guy being paid over $200 million and a guy being paid just over $1 million, these shouldn’t be the numbers.
I believe that the Hawks really dodged a bullet by choosing to trade Russ rather than extend him. It looked like a regression was coming on in 2021; many critics don’t believe in how he is trying to run the locker room, and the Hawks are playing better. Let’s break it all down.
The Regression
Russ’ regression is slight, but it is clear that his best days may be behind him. He didn’t play a full season in 2021 due to injury, but the numbers were already consistent with an aging quarterback. For starters, his completion percentage dropped four whole points from 2020, where he nearly put up an MVP-type season.
His QBR in 2021 was down four whole points, his yards per game was down more than 40 yards per game, and his adjusted value was down five points. There might be some kind of wrong theory that quarterbacks can all cut it well into their late 30s, but it just isn’t true. Not everyone is Tom Brady, and Russ’ career has primarily been based on moving around in the pocket and making plays with his legs. Those skills can’t stick around forever.
This year, he is off to a terrible start. For the first time in his career, his completion percentage has fallen under 60 percent. His touchdown percentage is currently at 2.4 percent. To put that into perspective, during his prior lowest year for TD percentage, he weighed in at 3.8 and has been as high as 8.2. His median is between 5 and 6.
On top of it all, his legs have seen their best days. He has less than 100 rushing yards through five weeks and just one touchdown this season. His yards per game are well below their average, and he may be showing signs of all the hits he took in Seattle over the years.
The Opinions
If you follow him on social media or see him in a Subway commercial, it isn’t hard to tell that Russ is a bit quirky. As people who have been closed off to his true personality for his career, who knows if this is much different than he has always been, but now people are starting to talk about it, raising some serious red flags. Here are some other people who have weighed in:
Russell Sherman was emphatic over what Russell Wilson would have done during the atrocious Thursday Night performance:
“On the final play, you gotta run the ball. Again. I wish I had [former Seahawks RB]Marshawn [Lynch] up here. Like, one yard. You need one yard. Run the ball. Run the ball! All he has to do is run the football. Necessary criticism. I’ve said enough criticism for him, but got dang it, run the dang ball! Like, learn from your mistakes.”
Kyle Brandt from NFL Network really didn’t hold back, calling him a poser:
“Russell Wilson shows up with his sunglasses and his wife [Ciara], and I think they think they’re Jay-Z and Beyoncé,” Brandt recalled. “They will literally put their hand up and say ‘no, we’re not talking.’ Why?” Because you think you’re that cool and you’re that famous and you’re that amazing and everything is so perfect. That does not work in a locker room unless you’re really good or a really, really good guy.”
Hawks are okay?
The Seahawks were predicted to be a team that was playing for the first overall pick, and honestly, that could still be in play.
However, the Hawks have played a couple of incredibly close games and have two wins through five weeks. Their first win actually came against Russell Wilson and the Broncos, which couldn’t have felt good for the former quarterback.
Two of their losses came by a touchdown or less, and their offense is one of the best in the league at the moment. There is more criticism to be placed on Pete Carroll and the defense than the offense.
Honestly, the Hawks seem better off. They have the draft capital and the money to spend now with Russ off the roster. While he tanks in Denver, fans can smile in Settle.
