What if the Seahawks Never Drafted Russell Wilson?
By Luke Allen
Coming into 2012, Quarterback Matt Flynn was all the hype for the Seahawks.
The Seahawks brought in a bright young quarterback who had backed up Aaron Rodgers and looked good doing it.
That situation can best be described as what Jimmy Garoppolo is to New England now.
Flynn was expected to take over the starting spot from veteran Tarvaris Jackson, who had a couple ugly seasons with the Seahawks. He was supposed to be the long-term replacement for Matt Hasselbeck, who’d signed with Tennessee.
Everything was looking good for Flynn in Seattle. The former Packer had received a lucrative contract from the team and was ready to don the new Nike Seahawks uniforms and start for the Seattle Seahawks.
In comes Wilson
In the 2012 draft, the Seahawks looked to bolster the defense in the first two rounds by drafting linebackers Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner.
Then, they selected Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson in the third.
Nobody thought much of it until the preseason, where the rookie competed for the starting job with Flynn and Jackson.
And won.
The team who paid Matt Flynn $26 million was now starting their 5’11” rookie whom the Seahawks selected in the third round.
Wilson did not disappoint. He had a very good regular season, leading the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and a playoff win. Matt Flynn was an afterthought at this point and it was his team moving forward.
Five years and a Lombardi trophy later, this is still Russell Wilson’s team. He has solidified himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and shows no sign of slowing down.
What if the Seahawks stuck with Flynn?
Nowadays, Matt Flynn is hopping from team to team looking for a backup spot. If Seattle hadn’t taken Russell Wilson, would the Seahawks still be without a Super Bowl victory to this day?
Even worse, would Seattle be one of the bottom-tier teams in the league?
Russell Wilson gives the team that edge on offense, where teams cannot predict what will happen when the football is in his hands.
Will he drop back three steps and throw it? Might he take off? Will he evade three defensive linemen and launch a ball deep?
Matt Flynn could not offer that same unpredictability or play-making. He could not have quarterbacked that team to a Super Bowl.
Russell Wilson’s magic was instrumental to the Seattle Seahawks.
If Flynn remained the starter, and Russell Wilson was never drafted, the team would most likely still be synonymous with ‘obscurity’, much like they were in the mid-to-late 2000’s.
Related Story: What if some Seahawks had never played football?
Today, our team in Seattle would not be nearly as good. Stars would’ve left for better teams, and coach Carroll may not even be head coach.