Looking Back on Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson's Pro Bowl Success

While the Pro Bowl has faced criticism over the past few years, it's served its purpose to provide some form of NFL content and celebration in an otherwise uneventful week in the buildup to the Super Bowl. This year, however, the Pro Bowl will not be played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the NFL has planned a plethora of virtual events for several of the game's selections to participate in today.

Reflecting on a simpler time, when the Pro Bowl was a given, several Seahawks have shined in the NFL's all-star game. But perhaps none brighter than quarterback Russell Wilson, who was selected to his eighth Pro Bowl team in nine years this season.

Of course, because Wilson played in two Super Bowls during that time, he only appeared in five of those games. In all, Wilson's completed 35 of 55 passes for 477 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. The bulk of those stats came in Wilson's first two Pro Bowl appearances.

In his rookie season, Wilson was only voted in as an alternate but made his way onto the NFC roster after Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan hurt his shoulder during the postseason. Hammering home the sentiment of wanting to instead play the following week in Super Bowl XLVII, Wilson stole the show with a three touchdown performance on the way to a 62-35 NFC victory. To the dismay of some fans, however, Wilson would lose on the MVP award to Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Fulfilling his desire to play in the Super Bowl the next two years, Wilson wouldn't return to Hawaii until 2016 in a far different looking Pro Bowl format. This time, rosters weren't determined by conference but rather in a fantasy-style draft between two teams led by NFL legends Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders.

Following a dominant finish to the 2015 regular season, Wilson would be Irvin's first pick in the draft, headlining an offense that featured the likes of Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins. Wilson was absolutely surgical in the game, tossing a trio of touchdowns to Jones, Devonta Freeman, and Todd Gurley to the tune of 164 yards before wrapping up his day in the early second quarter.

With an MVP award now handed to one player on offense and one on defense, Wilson and teammate Michael Bennett each took home a nice piece of hardware as they headed into the offseason.

From that point forward, Wilson hasn't had much to show in his other appearances. Not that he's been bad by any means, but he hasn't impacted those games in any noteworthy way. He did start last year's game for the NFC with a heavy heart following the passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, throwing for his lone touchdown in his last three Pro Bowls, but that's about it. But looking back on what he did with his first two selections, it's clear he's left his mark on the game with a pair of some of the best quarterback performances in its history.

Although the casual nature of the Pro Bowl has worn thin on many fans of the NFL and quite a few of its players, it's still nice for some to see their favorite players hit the field one last time before the seven-month, football-less drought begins. And Wilson has almost always given fans a proper sendoff. Unfortunately, he won't get the chance this year.