Is Russell Wilson still an elite quarterback?

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is a Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowler, but is he still elite? On Sunday, the NFL Network began releasing its list of top 100 players, a ranking voted on by the players. Wilson ranked No. 61, behind the Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (No. 57). Two years ago, Wilson ranked second overall. He ranked 12th last year.

In 2021, Wilson suffered an injury to a finger on his throwing hand, requiring surgery. This sidelined him for three games, causing a dip in his numbers and contributing to a drop in Wilson’s ranking.

Earlier this summer, The Athletic’s Mike Sando released his annual quarterback tiers. The tiers are numbered 1 through 5, with Tier 1 being the best and Tier 5 the worst. The tiers are based on evaluations by 50 league executives and coaches. Wilson made Tier 1 last season, but he was downgraded to Tier 2 ahead of the upcoming campaign.  

An anonymous defensive coordinator told The Athletic: 

“Russell has been a high-level play-action, shot, pocket-extend-plays quarterback. His dropback game is well above average, but I don’t think it’s elite. This is going to be a legacy defining change for him. Is he going to be that guy or is he going to be what a lot of people thought but weren’t sure because it was easy to blame Pete and the system and all that?” 

The relegation isn’t a complete diss toward Wilson. He was ranked the eighth-best quarterback, behind seventh-ranked Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams. Two years ago, Wilson was a unanimous Tier 1 choice. Now he stands behind up-and-coming young QBs Josh Allen (No. 4, Bills), Justin Herbert (No. 5, Chargers) and Joe Burrow (No. 6, Bengals). 

This begs the question: If Wilson can turn the Broncos back into a consistent title contender, as he did with the Seahawks, will his ranking rise?

Even though Wilson did see a slight setback in his status, his play on the field has not regressed. He finished 2021 with a passer rating of 103, which landed him in the top five. His injury was supposed to sideline him six to eight weeks, but he made it back earlier. 

Wilson’s statistical milestones stand out. He has 105 wins since 2012, the most among active quarterbacks. If he retired today, he would have the fourth-best passer rating in NFL history. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to register more than 35,000 passing yards and at least 4,500 rushing yards. 

Sometimes a change of scenery is necessary. (See: Stafford and the Rams.) It’s no secret Seattle coach Pete Carroll played conservatively.   Nathaniel Hackett, Wilson's new head coach and Aaron Rodgers' offensive coordinator in Green Bay, should run a more wide-open passing attack suited to Wilson's skills. Under Hackett, Rodgers was First-Team All-Pro the past two seasons.  

The Broncos must mesh under a new regime. But if Wilson can lead them to the top of the AFC West, he could re-establish himself as an elite QB in the eyes of the media, coaches, executives and his peers.