I’m open to revisiting this discussion, but only if Mahomes does what Wilson has done. That means suspending the conversation until about 2027.
We are blessed to have a bevy of outstanding NFL quarterbacks. “Old guys” Brady and Brees are still playing at a high level, and there are young guns, like Patrick Mahomes, around, too.
Courtesy: barstoolsports.com
Often lost in the middle is a QB whose consistent greatness shouldn’t be glossed over. That man is Russell Wilson. And it’s interesting to note the similarities between Wilson in his younger years and what Mahomes is doing today.
Both won Super Bowls in their second full season as a starting quarterback. Wilson and his Seahawks returned to the game the following year. Will Mahomes follow suit?
Neither Wilson nor Mahomes is prone to turnovers, and both QBs have excellent TD-INT ratios. They both scramble out of the pocket and have the ability to break off big runs. They share rocket arms with deadly accuracy.
They also extend plays when the pocket collapses, keeping their eyes downfield ready to pass or run as situations dictate. As far as intelligence is concerned, both players know exactly when to throw the ball away. They shy away from personally risky situations by sliding feet first to avoid injury.
If you ask ten people, probably nine would pick Mahomes as the best quarterback in the league. But if I had to give the ball to a QB with the game on the line, I’d take Russell Wilson.
As a San Francisco 49ers fan, I see Wilson twice a year. And I can tell you that #3 in a Seattle uniform is the guy you plan your defensive strategy around. When Russ breaks the pocket, you just know something is going to happen. And ability aside, one of his best traits is that he’s always available. The man has never missed a start in eight seasons.
Wilson never looked back after he got that first start as a rookie. How that happened bears repeating. The Seahawks had just signed Matt Flynn to a $26 million contract. He was the team’s starter on opening day 2012. Russell Wilson, Seattle’s 3rd-round draft pick, was signed to be Flynn’s back-up. But when Wilson outplayed Flynn, he gave Pete Carroll no option but to start him as a rookie.
Courtesy: Steven Bisig, USA TODAY Sports
For my money, what made that move just incredible–especially when you compare Wilson back then to Mahomes today–is that you can’t compare what each quarterback had to work with.
In Seattle, Wilson became a star without having a cast of similarly talented offensive players. Doug Baldwin is good and Marshawn Lynch gave the ‘Hawks a solid run game, but as an offensive unit, Seattle had nowhere near the talent level that’s available to Mahomes in KC.
Tyreek Hill may be the fastest wide receiver in the game, and Travis Kelce is the model of what a tight end should be. There’s more speed with Mecole Hardman, a Swiss army knife in Damian Williams, and Sammy Watkins, a former first-round pick, at wideout.
Make no mistake about it, Seattle complemented Wilson’s greatness with an excellent defensive corps, but they won games because Wilson made plays when plays were needed. He rarely made a mistake, and he never took plays off.
Don’t get me wrong! I love Patrick Mahomes and think he’s a fantastic football player. I’d have no problem if he were my starting quarterback. I just think Russell Wilson has been the best quarterback in the league since he first strapped on a Seahawks helmet.
I’m open to revisiting this discussion if and when Mahomes does what Wilson has done. That means suspending the conversation until about 2027.
