For nearly a decade, Russell Wilson terrorized the NFL. A dual-threat quarterback with a strong arm and quick scramble, the 2012 third-round pick saw early success in football’s most competitive league. Over the ten seasons Wilson played for the Seattle Seahawks, he earned nine Pro Bowl selections and pushed the team to eight playoff appearances. The quarterback’s improvisational playmaking, deep-ball accuracy, and calm leadership turned him into a franchise cornerstone and perennial MVP candidate. But the last three years have told a different story: at 36 years old, Wilson’s performances have dropped significantly, and his place among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks is now being questioned.
During his rookie season in Seattle, he won the starting spot by the first regular season game. He finished the regular season with the fourth-highest passer rating, threw for 3,118 yards and 26 touchdowns, and rushed for 489 yards and four touchdowns. The next two seasons would see him lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win and another appearance, becoming the first NFL starting quarterback to play in two Super Bowl matches in the first three years of his career. From 2012 to 2020, Wilson posted a 98.3 career passer rating with the Seahawks, never winning less than nine games in a season, and built a reputation as the ultimate “closer.” A quarterback who thrived when the play broke down, fans applauded him with the rally cry “Let Russ Cook” in 2020, encouraging head coach Pete Carroll to allow Wilson the freedom to make plays the way he wanted to.
But, hidden beneath the hype, Wilson took sacks at one of the highest rates in the league, often holding onto the ball too long in hopes of waiting to make a last minute big play or hail marry. In a game with only seconds to make high-pressure decisions and on a team overly dependent on his ability to extend plays, the quarterback no longer had the elite poise that defined his success.
In March 2022, Seattle traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos. At 33 years old, the quarterback had a decade of valuable experience under his belt, and he was still physically competitive in a league where the average age of players lies between 26 and 27. Having finished 2021 with their fifth losing record, Denver welcomed Wilson with open arms, believing it had solved its quarterback problem and quickly signed him to a five-year, $245 million extension.
Instead, the 2022 season was a disaster. Wilson looked uncomfortable in head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s offense, finished with just sixteen touchdowns in fifteen games, and posted a 84.4 passer rating, the lowest of his career. His pocket awareness seemed diminished, his accuracy spotty, and his mobility sluggish. “Let Russ Cook” became a sarcastic joke, taunting the Bronco’s 5-12 record and Wilson’s inability to turn the Broncos’ failures around. Hackett was fired before the season even ended.
2023 was no different. Although Broncos management hired Super Bowl winning coach Sean Payton, Wilson showed only modest improvement, cutting down turnovers and improving efficiency. While he showed spurts of his old self with rare scrambles and game winning drives, he lacked the quickness to consistently evade pressure. His deep-ball accuracy had also regressed. Throws that once dropped effortlessly into receivers’ hands sailed out of reach. What could’ve been big gains for the Broncos turned into broken plays; Wilson’s sack rate slowed the offense, failing to create momentum to push the team into the endzone. Soon, Wilson was benched, replaced by backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The writing was on the wall: Wilson no longer had the same burst that made him one of the NFL’s most dangerous players.
Released by the Broncos in March 2024, Wilson signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal. The short stint was initially promising, as the veteran earned the starting position after beating out Justin Fields in training camp. Adapting quickly to the game after a calf injury that caused him to miss the first five weeks of play, Wilson guided the Steelers to a 10-3 record nearing the end of the regular season. However, four consecutive losses kicked the team out of playoff contention. Nonetheless, the quarterback was on the rise again, selected to his tenth Pro Bowl.
Wilson signed to the New York Giants in 2025, where his story has soured, but still remains unfinished. The team’s quarterback group consisted of two veterans and one first-draft rookie who were all new Giants signings for the season. Wilson and Jameis Winston were wise with years of NFL experience, but Jaxson Dart’s first-year ambition and optimism would set high standards that competed with the veterans. Proving victory in the quarterback competition, Wilson earned the top spot. A fresh start with a new team, would Wilson redefine his legacy? Although the season is still malleable to change, the answer currently leans toward “no.”
The Giants, under Wilson, have played horribly. Rushing for only 77 yards and failing to score a touchdown in a 21-6 loss against the Washington Commanders in Week 1, the New York team struggled to find an offensive footing. A 37-40 loss against the Dallas Cowboys soon followed. An egregious twenty-one flags and fourteen penalties were called against the Giants, erasing offensive progress and a crucial chance for a touchdown. In overtime, Wilson threw an interception that turned over possession. A successful Cowboys field goal cemented a hard hitting loss for Wilson and the Giants. The next game against the Kansas City Chiefs ended in a predictable but disappointing 22-9 loss.
The Giants had enough, and announced 22-year-old Dart as the Week 4 starter against the Los Angeles Chargers. On the opening drive, Dart ran the ball himself, scoring his first career touchdown on a 15-yard play. All the while, Wilson had to watch the young quarterback’s glory-filled celebration for a move he mastered a decade ago. Dart then made his first passing touchdown. As the crowd erupted when the final whistle blew, Wilson had to accept the reality of the situation: A fresh, agile, and ambitious quarterback led the Giants to a 21-18 victory against a dominant 3-0 Chargers (at time of play), doing what Wilson failed to do … win.
Russell Wilson’s decline is a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of regression. Once regarded as of the NFL’s best QB for a long string of seasons, Wilson is long past the days of his prime. Although a comeback is always possible, Wilson and his fans must accept that his story may not have a fairytale ending. More likely than not, the aged quarterback’s legacy will be a cautionary tale: powerful and painful proof that starters cannot start forever.
