Michael Vick was electric with the football. Yes, he could throw and link up with his receivers downfield, but Vick's truest weapon was his legs and his natural-born gift to run. No one had seen anything like him during his Atlanta Falcons days. Only now do we watch Lamar Jackson replicate Vick as closely as possible.
But before Jackson, and after Vick, the Seattle Seahawks discovered their own smaller version of a running threat at quarterback: Russell Wilson. Of course, Wilson was never as sleek or skilled as Vick, but Wilson did have an incredible ability to scramble in the backfield, making opponents whiff on their tackles one after the other.
He was Houdini for a while, and no one else could really do what he could. In his own way, Wilson, too, was electric.
Russell Wilson's Hall of Fame case died after departing the Seattle Seahawks
The question is, however, was Wilson the reason the Seahawks found the success that they did under Pete Carroll in the early days of Wilson's tenure there? Was Wilson the main reason Seattle went to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2014 and 2015? There is much debate on this matter, and it without question affects his Hall of Fame case, if there is one to be had at all.
Before even getting to Wilson's horrific Denver Broncos experiment-gone-wrong era, we must first examine his Seahawks era. There is a strong argument to be made that Wilson, while he could create something out of nothing in the backfield and unleash the football a lot farther than many other quarterbacks, wasn't the sole driver of the Seahawks' engine.
The argument is that the main character in this story is the Seahawks defense — the Legion of Boom — and not Wilson. In those days, the Seahawks' defense was suffocating, unrelenting, unforgiving, and monstrous. They had that intimidating nickname for a reason, and it was earned in every way.
Today, Wilson detractors and even some Wilson supporters will admit it was Carroll's defensive scheme and the players involved that made the Seahawks who they were. Wilson was by no means a passive participant, but he was also not the primary source of success.
At the same time, you can't discount Wilson's numbers with the Seahawks. During his time there, he threw for 292 touchdowns with a passer rating over 100, and was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, with two Super Bowl appearances and one ring. The numbers, Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl win in ten years make for a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback.
That said, this is where the argument for who truly carried the Seahawks in their best of years with Wilson behind center enters the fold. Was it him? Or the defense? This argument strengthens his case against being elected to the Hall of Fame someday — it's a legitimate case.
There is a case that if Wilson had retired after his Seahawks career, he would have missed the cut anyway. During Wilson's Seahawks era, his quarterback peers, such as Ben Rothlesburger, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees, all had a significantly higher impact (plus the greater numbers) on their team's success, and they definitely belong in the Hall of Fame.
Of course, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are a part of that group, but it seems pointless to bring them up, considering they're both leagues above everyone else.
While Wilson had his moments, his peak never reached the heights of, say, a Brees or a Rodgers. In addition to these reasons, Wilson never achieved league MVP status either. Brees or Rothlisberger never won an MVP either, but, again, they can rest on their better numbers and overall impact.
To play devil's advocate, if we consider Wilson's second half of his career, suppose he was a Hall of Fame quarterback after leaving Seattle; there is now every argument in the book to relinquish that status and throw it out the window.
He failed in Denver, didn't give the Pittsburgh Steelers what they were hoping for (otherwise, they would have kept him and not chased Rodgers), and Jaxon Dart — the king of New York aura — just stole Wilson's job away.
After three games with the Giants, Wilson's career is likely over. Could the Cincinnati Bengals take a gamble? They could, but likely not. Outside of the Bengals, Wilson has few options, if any.
So, where does this leave Wilson? Unfortunately, it may very well leave him on the outside looking in when it comes to the Hall of Fame calling his name one day. He's been terrible since leaving Seattle, and the moon balls aren't cutting it.
In Seattle, Wilson's Hall of Fame case was already flawed. Today? It looks dead.