The Seahawks signed free agent quarterback Matt Flynn to a three-year deal in March of 2012 with the expectation that he would be the franchise’s starting quarterback. One month later, the team drafted quarterback Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Despite the heavy investment in Flynn, Wilson impressed the coaching staff so much that he was named the team’s starting quarterback ahead of the 2012 season. “This is an extremely competitive person and that drives him and the way he prepares,” said former head coach Pete Caroll after naming Wilson the starter in August 2012. “He tirelessly works at it; he worked at it throughout the summertime. He’s the last guy to get out of the building; he has done everything he could possibly do to get ready. You tack all of that along with his marvelous natural football intelligence he has. He has a great savvy for the game. There are a lot of things that he does that you can’t coach. His timing, his sense, his feel for when he has to escape, his feel for stepping up, his awareness about when to run and how to get out abounds or get down when he is about to get hit. All of that stuff is part of his package, and he has terrific arm talent, he’s a very accurate thrower. We have no restrictions in any way of what we’re doing, and we’re very excited about that.”
Wilson proved the Seahawks’ faith in him to be correct as he put together one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history winning 11 games as a starter and threw for a Seahawks rookie record 3,118 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and ran for nearly 500 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Wilson also led the team to a road victory over Washington in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs.
After a sensational rookie season where he was named to the Pro Bowl and received offensive rookie of the year votes, Wilson showed his first year wasn’t a fluke as he threw for 3,357 yards and 26 touchdowns, leading Seattle to a regular season record of 13-3 and the team’s first Super Bowl Championship. He became just the fourth second-year quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl.
Wilson continued to ascend as one of the league’s top quarterbacks as he earned Pro Bowl nominations in nine of his first 10 seasons in Seattle and was named second team All-Pro in 2019. He holds many of the franchise’s career passing records including passer rating (101.8), attempts (4,735), completions (3,079), passing yards (37,059), and passing touchdowns (292). His best ability may have been his availability as he holds the franchise record of 149 consecutive games started, a streak that began in 2012 and ended when he suffered a hand injury in 2021.
At the time Wilson entered the league, there were a lot of questions on whether he could succeed in the NFL due to the fact that he didn’t have the prototypical size desired for a franchise quarterback. All of the doubts were put to rest when he stepped onto the field as he had elite playmaking ability, top-tier deep ball accuracy, and the intangibles every team looks for in someone to lead their franchise. Since joining the league, Wilson helped re-define what teams look for in a starting quarterback and that can be seen with many of the starting quarterbacks in today’s game that may have been overlooked in the past such as former number one overall picks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.
His contributions off the field were equally impressive as Wilson established himself as a pillar in the community during his time in Seattle. As soon as Wilson arrived in Seattle, he knew that he not only wanted to bring success on the football field but also make a difference in the community. "I got out here and my whole thought process on my heart was, I want to make a difference," Wilson said. "One, I want to start, I want to play, I want to have a long career and win multiple Super Bowls and hopefully go the Hall of Fame, do all that stuff—that was my thought process my rookie year before I even hopped on the plane here. The other part was I really wanted to make an impact on the city, and I really wanted to be able to make a difference in the community." Whether it was through his weekly visits to Seattle Children’s Hospital or the work he and the ‘Why Not You Foundation’ has done, Wilson always put his work in the community at the forefront and was recognized by the league for it as he was awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2020.
Following 10 record-setting seasons in Seattle, Wilson was traded to Denver in a blockbuster deal that included five draft picks and three players in return.
