By Michael Gallagher0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Famer is apparently the new is Joe Flacco elite?
One day after Wilson, who played last season with the New York Giants, announced his retirement from the NFL following a 14-year career, seemingly every sports talk show and radio show were debating Wilson’s Hall of Fame credentials.
And analysts seem to be truly divided on the issue. However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith isn’t conflicted at all. In fact, he made his stance of Wilson’s Hall of Fame candidacy perfectly clear during Thursday’s episode of “First Take.”
Read More on NFL“He absolutely is [a Hall of Famer],” Smith said. “A lot of people throw shade on him or what have you; he’s not perfect, but [expletive] he’s a Hall of Famer. You’re a Super Bowl champion, you’re a 10-time Pro Bowler, you’re 40 games in your career over .500, you’ve been to the playoffs, you’ve been to two Super Bowls — you’ve won one.
“His first nine seasons in the NFL…regular-season wins: second all-time to Tom Brady, postseason wins: second all-time to Tom Brady…Pro Bowler eight of his first nine seasons, touchdown passes fourth all-time behind (Drew) Brees, Brady, and (Aaron) Rodgers, total yards: sixth all-time, quarterback rushing yards: second only to Cam Newton, passer rating: third behind Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, game-winning drive: second only to Matthew Stafford — that’s what he did. To me, when you got a lot of people going at him…how are you going to ignore the first 10 years of the cat’s career?”
...Wilson also holds several notable NFL records including most passing yards in a playoff game by a rookie (385) and most four-quarter touchdown passes in a season (16), and he ranks fifth all-time in passer rating (99.3), ninth in fourth-quarter comebacks (32), 12th in passing touchdowns (353), and 16th in passing yards (46,966).
The 37-year-old QB also owns multiple Seattle Seahawks records including career marks for completions (3,079), passing yards (37,059), touchdown passes (292), passer rating (101.8), and rushing yards by a QB (4,689), as well as single-season marks for touchdowns (40), rushing yards by a QB (849), and passer rating (110.9).
Compared to the last four QBs inducted into the Hall of Fame — Drew Brees (2026), Peyton Manning (2021), Kurt Warner (2017), and Brett Favre (2016) — Wilson measures up well with Warner but clearly falls behind the other three.
Perhaps Wilson’s fans should pay attention to how long it takes Eli Manning to get inducted once he’s eligible. He and Wilson share similar career numbers — 57,023 passing yards to 46,966, 366 touchdowns to 353, 117 wins to 121, eight playoff wins to nine — and Eli should be a solid barometer of which Wilson is measured by.
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