We can finally put to rest the Russell Wilson versus Andrew Luck argument

There has always been some debate about who a team would rather have: Russell Wilson or Andrew Luck? Luck is retiring so the argument can now be settled.

Russell Wilson is better than Andrew Luck. He has been since they both entered the NFL in 2012. I am not just being a homer about this. The statistics back me up. And after Luck announced his shocking retirement from football on Saturday, it is clear who was better between Wilson or Luck.

For years now there has been a discussion about which quarterback, Wilson or Luck, would be most wise to take first should a team be starting from scratch. I get the fact that Andrew Luck is the prototypical quarterback, or he used to be. At least, he was in 2012. He is tall, smart and had a cannon of an arm when he entered the league. This is the reason he was drafted number one overall when he entered the league.

Wilson is shorter, but just as smart and also has strong arm. Plus, Wilson is the better athlete. Wilson also hasn’t gotten injured to the point where he has had to miss a game. His team can depend on him to be under center every Sunday. With Luck, not so much. Luck missed an entire year in 2017. He missed nine games in 2015. Wilson has missed two practices since 2012 and neither because of injury.

A look at some of the raw statistics is in Wilson’s favor over Luck too. Wilson has 196 career touchdown passes in 3,261 pass attempts. Andrew Luck has 171 touchdown passes in 3,290 attempts. Wilson has thrown for a touchdown on 6 percent of his career throws; Luck throws one every 5.2 percent.

Wilson’s interception percentage is 1.9 percent. Luck’s is 2.5 percent. Wilson has completed 64.2 percent of his passes while Luck is at 60.8 percent. Wilson has had four seasons with a QBR (quarterback rating) over 100, including twice greater than 110. Luck has zero seasons with a 100 or higher quarterback rating.

I am not even taking into account each quarterback’s ability to run. This was never a big part of Luck’s game, though it is of Wilson’s. And it is still important to point out that even though Wilson has ran the ball 313 more times in his career than Luck, Wilson’s average yard per carry is nearly a yard higher (5.7 to 4.8).

When the games really matter, the playoffs, Wilson’s numbers are even more favorable over Luck’s playoffs statistics. Wilson’s QBR is 94.9. Luck’s is 73.4. Luck’s interception percentage is 4.0. Wilson’s is 3.0. Wilson’s touchdown percentage is 5.8. Luck’s is 3.7.

It is also important to note that while Wilson has played on a team with a much better defense for the majority of his seasons, Luck’s teams have had the far better offensive line.

The simple fact is, however, that while Andrew Luck was chosen because he had the raw ability of what a quarterback was supposed to look like, Russell Wilson has been changing the league since 2012. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Cardinals and Kyler Murray. Had Murray been available to draft seven seasons ago, he probably doesn’t go in the top three rounds. Because of Wilson, Murray went first overall in 2019.

That is what Wilson has done and how good he has been. Teams no longer are looking for the next Andrew Luck. Most of them are now looking for the next Russell Wilson. That is because Russell Wilson is better than Andrew Luck and always will be.