Russell Wilson, who spent 2025 with the New York Giants, has announced that he is leaving football and will go to work for CBS Sports. That has started a debate over whether or not Wilson is worthy of being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mike Sando of The Athletic says that Wilson “went from Seattle Seahawks superstar to frequently mocked journeyman so quickly that only time will help process the implications in an even-handed manner.”
Sando says Wilson has a complicated path to becoming
a Hall of Famer.
Sando summarizes Wilson’s chances this way:
Most Hall of Fame candidates fit into two categories: slam dunks and those needing some explanation.
The last 10 quarterbacks elected to the Hall of Fame as modern-era candidates could be instructive for Wilson.
Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Warren Moon, Dan Marino and John Elway all were in the top three in all-time passing yards when they retired. All but Moon were in the top three in passing touchdowns (fourth). No one is suggesting passing yards and passing touchdowns are advanced metrics, but in the cases of avowed top quarterbacks, it’s one way to separate them.
The other most recent inductees at the position — Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Warner — ranked 18th on average in passing yards (Kelly was highest at 10th) and 25th in passing touchdowns (Kelly was highest at 13th) when they retired.
Like Wilson, who ranks 16th in passing yards and 12th in passing touchdowns, their Hall cases were more nuanced.
• Kelly helped Buffalo reach four consecutive Super Bowls while leading high-powered offenses. That made him unique.
• Young was a two-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl MVP as the heir to Joe Montana in San Francisco. He threw a record six touchdown passes in a Super Bowl.
• Warner was also a two-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl MVP. He took two suffering franchises to three total Super Bowls as a former grocery bagger in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and his story became a movie.
• Aikman won three Super Bowls with the iconic Dallas Cowboys and was a Super Bowl MVP. He also was enshrined before statistics assumed their current prominent place in these discussions.
While deep postseason pushes helped Kelly, Young, Warner and Aikman, Wilson’s case could rest on him being a high-end dual-threat QB. And he did win a championship.
For now, Wilson is the former Seattle superstar who endured a disappointing end to his career. That’s not necessarily who he will be in five years, when Wilson becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame. The picture will be clearer then, and probably more favorable to his chances, despite the headwinds facing him now.
Andrew Perloff of Athlon Sports believes Wilson deserves Hall of Fame enshrinement:
There are only two explanations for not believing Russell Wilson deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: 1) You already forgot watching him play in Seattle; or 2) You have an issue with his personality. From a football standpoint, Wilson should get in on his first ballot.
While Wilson may not have officially retired, he announced Monday that he is joining CBS Sports for the 2026 NFL season. The meaningful part of his career has been over for a while. The last four years in Denver, Pittsburgh and New York have been tough. But 10 years in Seattle was long enough to establish Wilson’s legacy.
The fact that he couldn’t make an impact with the Broncos hurt, but his overall resume is worthy. Probably deserves it more than Eli Manning. If Eli doesn’t get in before Russ is eligible, it’ll be interesting.3Join the Conversation (4)
Wilson’s stats — while worthy of Hall of Fame recognition — don’t tell the whole story. He is the only quarterback to throw for 40,000 yards and run for over 5,000 yards, and he ranks fifth all-time in passer rating (99.3). In a limited offense, Wilson kept defenses honest with one of the best deep balls in the game. At his peak, he was one of the most elusive running QBs of all time.
But Wilson’s biggest strength was his ability to raise his game in key moments. He often saved his legs for crunch time. Look at his rushing first downs by quarter throughout his career:
First quarter: 58
Second quarter: 99
Third quarter: 73
Fourth quarter: 121Wilson also had a 101.2 passer rating in the fourth quarter. His 40 game-winning drives tie him with John Elway for ninth on the all-time list. Wins are not a quarterback stat — otherwise there would really be no argument here. Wilson was 104-53-1 with the Seahawks, with one Super Bowl championship and a narrow loss the next year.
Wilson accumulated a 94.82 grade on Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame tracker, ranking 18th on the list between Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach. Even playing for a defensively oriented team, Wilson’s offensive production puts him among the all-time greats.
Valentine’s View
I have to frame my opinion around my belief that Eli Manning should already be in the Hall of Fame. If you are voter and you do not think Manning is a Hall of Fame, I have no idea how you can think Wilson is a Hall of Famer.
Wilson won a Super Bowl, sure, but his performances in two Super Bowls pales in comparison to Manning’s accomplishments.
The Seahawks won the 2013 Super Bowl, 43-8, over the Denver Broncos. Wilson threw for 206 yards and two TDs. Nothing historic or exceptional about any of that. In 2014, he threw perhaps the most memorable interception in Super Bowl history to allow the New England Patriots to escape with a 28-24 victory.
We know what Manning did in two Super Bowls.
Parse the stats any way you want. For me, playoff and Super Bowl performances have to be weighed more heavily. When you tell the story of the NFL and you talk Super Bowl, you talk about the historic accomplishments of Manning vs. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The only time you mention Wilson is for the play he did not make at the New England 1-yard line.
How do you feel about Wilson as a Hall of Fame candidate?
