RECORDS & AWARDS
SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPION (Seattle Seahawks 2013-14)
9X PRO BOWLER (2012-2013, 2015, 2017-2022)
9X NFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MOST TD PASSES BY A ROOKIE (26)*
FIRST QB IN NFL HISTORY TO START CAREER WITH 9 WINNING SEASONS
MOST WINS BY A QB IN FIRST 9 SEASONS (98)
ONE OF THREE QBs WITH 250+ PASSING TDs IN FIRST 9 SEASONS (Dan Marino, Peyton Manning)
FIRST QB TO HAVE FIVE CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 3+ TDs AND 0 INTs
BEST 5-GAME STREAK IN NFL HISTORY (19 TDs and 0 INTs)
NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (2012)
SEAHAWKS SINGLE SEASON PASSER RATING RECORD (110.1 - 2015, 110.9 - 2018)
SEAHAWKS SINGLE SEASON PASSING TD RECORD (34 - 2015 & 2017, 35 - 2018, 40 - 2020)
SEAHAWKS SINGLE SEASON PASSING YDS RECORD (4,219 - 2016)
SEAHAWKS SINGLE GAME PASSING YDS RECORD (452 - 2017)
SEAHAWKS MOST TDs BY A QB (267)
STEVE LARGENT AWARD (2012, 2018, 2019)
BART STARR AWARD (2022)
WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR (2021)
*= Record has since been broken
CAREER NARRATIVE
Russell Wilson has been an athlete his entire life. He led his high school, “Collegiate School” to three consecutive Virginia state football titles, from 2004 to 2006. He was the Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2006 for football, and he was recognized as First Team All-State for three consecutive years.
Wilson’s high school successes led him to the collegiate ranks, beginning the next phase of his career at North Carolina State University. He started for the Wolfpack for three seasons, throwing for 8,545 yards and 76 touchdowns (TDs). In 2008, he was the first-ever freshman to receive First Team All-ACC honors for a Quarterback, and in 2009, he set the NCAA record for most passes attempted without throwing an interception – 389 (INT). After a very successful career at NC State, Wilson transferred to the University of Wisconsin in 2011, where he threw for 3,179 yards, 33 TDs and just 4 INTs. He led the Badgers to a winning season capped off by an appearance in the Rose Bowl, and he received First Team All-Big Ten recognition. In addition, Wilson broke the NCAA record for most consecutive games with a TD (38) and the highest pass efficiency rating in NCAA history (191.8).
Wilson was selected in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He won the starting job for the team during preseason and led the Seahawks to an 11-5 regular-season record and to the divisional round of the playoffs. He tied the NFL record for most touchdown passes by a rookie with 26, and he had the fourth-highest passer rating in the league (100.0). In December, he posted a 115.2 passer rating, earning him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for his efforts. Wilson closed out his rookie campaign with an appearance at the 2013 Pro Bowl and an impressive 3,118 yards passing (completing 64.1% of his passes) and 489 yards rushing (with 4 TDs).
In 2013, Wilson threw for 3,357 passing yards, rushed for 539 rushing yards, and scored a combined 27 TDs. He led the Seahawks to a 13-3 regular season record and the NFC West title. Wilson secured the conference’s No.1 playoff seed and capped off the season with an incredible 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, becoming only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his second season.
In 2014, Wilson surpassed the yard totals of his previous season, throwing for 3,475 yards and rushing for 849 yards, while scoring a combined 26 TDs. The Seahawks ended the season on a 6-game winning streak that helped them land another NFC West title and a spot in the playoffs. Wilson closed out his third year with an impressive comeback performance in OT against the Green Bay Packers, winning 28 – 22, securing a 2nd consecutive Super Bowl (XLIX) appearance. He became the first QB in NFL history to start two Super Bowls in his first three seasons.
The following year, Wilson continued to improve his individual stats, posting 4,024 passing yards and 34 passing TDs. He led the Seahawks to a 4th consecutive playoff appearance and earned yet another trip to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
In his 5th season with the Seahawks, Wilson threw for a career-high of 4,219 passing yards and 21 passing TDs, leading the team to another NFC West Division title (the 3rd one under his lead), and a 5th consecutive playoff appearance. In 2017, he made a significant impact by accounting for 86.4% of the Seahawks scrimmage yards of the season (3,983 passing and 586 rushing); which is the highest such percentage by a player in the Super Bowl era. His 37 combined TDs led the NFL, and along the way, he became the first QB in the history of the NFL to have a winning record in each of his first six seasons. He capped off the year with an appearance at the 2017 Pro Bowl. One year later, in 2018, Wilson led the Seahawks to yet another winning season and playoff run. He finished with 35 touchdowns and a 110.9 passer rating, both personal and franchise bests. He also set career franchise records with most quarterback regular season wins (75) and most touchdowns (196).
In 2019, Wilson led the Seahawks to their 7th playoff appearance in 8 seasons. Along the way, he became the first quarterback in history to have a winning record in his first 8 seasons, tying Tom Brady for the most wins during the same time period. Wilson eclipsed 4,000 passing yards for the 3rd time in his career while also throwing 30+ touchdowns for the 4th time. Additionally, he threw the least number of interceptions in his career, making 2019 his highest touchdown to interception ratio. He closed off the season with an appearance at the NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando, FL; the 6th of his career.
In 2020, Wilson led the Seahawks to an NFC West Division title, going 12-4 in the regular season. This was the team’s 8th playoff appearance in 9 seasons. To start the season, Wilson was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month in September and continued his elite level of play all season. He set career highs in touchdowns (40) and completion percentage (68.8%). His completion percentage set a new Seahawks franchise record, beating his own from the 2015 season. For the 4th time in his career, Wilson eclipsed 4,000 passing yards, and for the 5th time, he exceeded the 500 yards rushing mark. The season concluded with Wilson being named to his 4th consecutive Pro-Bowl, marking the 7th of his career. Also, Wilson was named the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, an honor bestowed upon one player each season in recognition of his commitment to philanthropy and community impact.
In 2021, Wilson played 14 games leading the Seahawks to a 7-10 record during the regular season. In week five, he sustained an injury to his throwing hand, forcing him to miss 3.5 games for the first time in his career; he returned to play during week nine of that season, only a short 4 weeks after his injury. Wilson finished the season with 25 passing TDs, and 2 rushing. He completed 64.75% of his passes, threw for 3,113 yards and earned 183 rushing yards. At the end of the season, Wilson participated in his 9th Pro Bowl in ten seasons. He was also named the winner of the “Bart Starr Award,” given each year to the player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community. This season marked the end of Wilson's career as a Seattle Seahawk.
In 2022, Wilson left the Seahawks after 10 record-setting seasons and embarked on a new chapter with the Denver Broncos. Picking up right where he left off in Seattle, Wilson threw for 6,594 yards in two seasons as a Bronco and became the first player in NFL history to eclipse 40,000 yards passing and 5,000 yards rushing for his career, further cementing his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Now in his 13th season, Wilson joins the Pittsburgh Steelers with the goal of helping the organization add to its storied legacy by winning a seventh Super Bowl title.