Is Russell Wilson on the decline?
Russell Wilson’s move to the Denver Broncos was motivated by his long-running differences with head coach Pete Carroll. The Seattle Seahawks thought they were overpaying for a guy about to enter his decline.
Wilson at the time had just experienced a disappointing 2021 season that was significantly impacted by a fractured finger he sustained in Week 5. Despite only missing three games, he appeared to return before he fully recovered. He struggled with accuracy at first before improving toward the season’s conclusion.
In his 14 starts for the Seahawks, Wilson went just 6-8, which was the first time in his career he had ever gone below 50%.
It might be difficult for some to remember but Wilson’s size was a significant concern back in his early days. While he has been able to overcome his 5’11” frame for a decade with a mix of mobility and generational football intelligence, it is reasonable to question if he will continue to be as productive once his capacity to make plays out of the pocket starts to wane.
What’s Next for the Seahawks?
In his in-depth analysis of Russell Wilson’s departure from the Seahawks on Wednesday, Brady Henderson of ESPN noted that many in Seattle’s front office thought Wilson’s stock was falling before dealing him to Denver.
The Seahawks’ are concerned about Wilson’s decreased movement and whether he would be able to become a pure pocket quarterback if he could no longer avoid sacks are detailed in Henderson’s article.
Wilson has never been the sort of quarterback willing to stand in the pocket and dump the ball off, something he would need to do as he aged, according to an unidentified member of the front office quoted in the story who told ESPN, “I just felt like he’s a falling guy.”
After dealing with Wilson and deciding not to re-sign him with a high-caliber option, the Seahawks seem set to play out a rebuilding season. Week 1 will see the Geno Smith debut, and Drew Lock will serve as his backup. Both quarterbacks have not demonstrated the ability to be an average NFL starter, much less a player of Wilson’s talent. Anyone looking to wager on the action can use one of these football betting promo codes to claim a bonus from some of the best sportsbooks available online.
The Broncos expect to be a Super Bowl contender with Wilson at the helm despite facing a difficult road in the football world’s strongest division.
According to the article, this conviction led the Seahawks to break their ten-year alliance, concerned that Wilson would request a sizable extension. The Broncos and Wilson last week agreed to a five-year, $245 million agreement.
The research offers a novel perspective on Wilson’s career-long sack problems. Wilson was sacked more than 40 times every season from 2012 to 2020. Although Wilson was in a league of his own, the Seahawks’ offensive line received most of the criticism.
Only one quarterback still playing, Matt Ryan, has ever recorded five seasons with at least 40 sacks. Tom Brady has only had 40 or more sacks in a season twice in his 20 years of playing football. The Seahawks reportedly saw Wilson contributing to the issue, which eventually worsened.
