Seattle Seahawks Offer Russell Wilson Big Money, Is The QB Worth It?


Russell Wilson may become a very rich man. According to the Washington Post, the Seattle Seahawks have a lucrative offer on the table for the QB worth a reported average of $21 million per season. Russell Wilson has two championship appearances on his resume, including one title, but is he worth the staggering amount of $21 million?

The answer hinges on who gets the credit for the team’s success.

Much of the credit for Seattle’s success has been given to their defensive unit. They have become the best defense in the NFL over the last few seasons. Cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas are the keys in shutting down the opposing team’s passing attack, making that team one-dimensional. It is easy for Russell Wilson to come in and pick up the pieces. He does not have to win a football game by himself. Sadly, that comes with a misleading label.

Some people will quickly point out the idea that Russell Wilson is merely a game manager. By looking at the numbers that may very well be the case, but his impact on the Seahawks success must not be solely based on numbers. Sometimes numbers do lie.

Judging the worth of Russell Wilson’s next contract based on statistics alone the answer would be a foolish proposition. Wilson has a strong impact on the Seahawks’ wins and losses in ways that will never show up in the final box score. His intangibles including, but not limited to managing the game is exceptional.

To win in the NFL every quarterback has to be a game manager.

It is a quarterback’s job to lead his team to victory while minimizing any possible mistakes. In Russell Wilson’s first three NFL seasons, he has started in all 48 games. He eclipsed the 3,000 throwing yards threshold each time and has career statistics of 72 touchdowns versus 26 interceptions.

Those are winning numbers. It is his 207.3 yards per game that sparks the game manager conversation. Wilson is far from that.

Besides running back Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson has yet to play with a Pro Bowl back, receiver or tight end. The offensive line has been effective at keeping Wilson from running for life, thus giving him time to throw to a young receiving corps. This year, he will have a new weapon in tight end Jimmy Graham to throw the football to. Graham is a wide receiver in a tight end’s body who will fight to get the ball.

Expect a significant increase in Wilson’s stats with the presence of Graham and the growth of the young receivers. He has a chance to prove that he is worth the $21 million offer.

Russell Wilson has reportedly yet to turn down the Seahawks’ $21 million offer according to NFL. The Seahawks’ offer is more than 13 times the $1.54 million he is slated to earn this upcoming season. It would rank as one of the largest raises ever given to a professional athlete. Given that Wilson earned less than $600,000 the year he won it all, the $21 million offer seems like a make good for past performances.

At 26, Russell Wilson is still a young QB. There are questions about his overall arm strength, though similar statements can be made about Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. The both of them sit atop the mountain as two of the greatest QBs to ever call a play. Wilson has more Super Bowl appearances (two) as both of them and the same amount of wins (one) as Brady. If it were not for a curious Seahawks’ play call at the end of the last big game Wilson would have two titles on his docket.

In this case, winning takes precedent over everything else. Russell Wilson is a proven winner at the early stage of his career. He is well within his rights to command more money than a couple of his counterparts Andy Dalton and Jay Cutler.

The Seahawks have a $21 million offer on the table and because of the size of raise that it is Russell Wilson should take it. If he holds out for a little bit more, the stats may suggest that he does not deserve it, but winning weighs more here.

[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]

Share this article: Seattle Seahawks Offer Russell Wilson Big Money, Is The QB Worth It?
More from Inquisitr