Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Russell Wilson

Despite putting up record numbers in 2020, a frustrated Wilson aired his grievances about pass protection and not having enough input on team personnel this offseason, creating rampant trade speculation. With the drama behind him, will the arrival of Shane Waldron bring out the best in the star quarterback and help propel the Seahawks back to title contention?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 28, 2021 10:44 AM EDT

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst-case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Russell Wilson, Quarterback

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 215 pounds

2020 Stats: 4,212 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, 105.1 passer rating in 16 games

Statistically, Wilson enjoyed one of the strongest seasons of his nine-year NFL career in 2020. The star gunslinger broke his own franchise record for touchdown passes, including throwing 26 touchdowns in the first eight games when the "Let Russ Cook" movement was at its peak. He also surpassed 4,200 passing yards for only the second time in his career and produced his best season as a runner since 2017, rushing for 513 yards and a pair of touchdowns while averaging more than six yards per carry. Unfortunately, his overall play took a dive in the second half, as he threw only 12 touchdowns in the final eight regular season games and four of those came in a blowout win over the then-winless Jets. His passer rating plunged more than 25 points compared to the first half and as a result, the Seahawks' offense slogged through the final two months after a scintillating start. The most prolonged slump of Wilson's career certainly played a part in the drama that played out during the offseason as trade rumors swirled around him and his future in Seattle was under much speculation. In an effort to get him back on track in 2021, the team hired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and bolstered the roster around him by trading for guard Gabe Jackson, signing tight end Gerald Everett, and drafting receiver D'Wayne Eskridge.

Best Case Scenario: Putting the trade speculation that defined the offseason behind him, Wilson quickly gets acclimated to Waldron's offense and puts together the best season of his career, throwing more than 45 touchdown passes and capturing his first MVP award while leading the Seahawks to the top seed in the NFC.

Worst Case Scenario: Though Wilson starts all 17 games as expected, Waldron struggles to help Wilson and Seattle's offense get cooking again as a first-time coordinator, playing a key role in the team missing the playoffs and casting doubt about the quarterback's future in the Pacific Northwest.

What to Expect in 2021: There's no question the 2021 season will be a critical one for Wilson and the Seahawks. Since trade rumors cooled down after the draft, the quarterback has said all of the right things to help smooth things over with coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, indicating he wants to be in Seattle for the rest of his career. If Waldron meets lofty expectations as a play caller and brings out the best in Wilson by implementing a more efficient quick passing game and mixing up tempo effectively, Seattle should have one of the most explosive offenses in the league and re-emerge as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. If those things don't happen and the team somehow misses the playoffs or bows out quickly, things could get ugly next offseason. But for now, everyone has turned the page and armed with a star-studded supporting cast headlined by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and an improved offensive line in front of him, Wilson will look to shatter several of his own franchise single-season records and guide the team on a deeper playoff run in 2021.