ESPN puts diminished Russell Wilson outside 'capable starter' tier in NFL free agent QB rankings

If you don't think this class of free agent quarterbacks is weak, look no further than ESPN's rankings of the best free agent options at each position. That's where you'll find exactly zero quarterbacks who made the cut for their first three tiers: no franchise players, no Pro Bowl caliber starters and no capable starters, either.

The next tier down is pretty crowded, though. That's the "borderline starters/high end backups" group, where you will find former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. You'll also see Wilson's overqualified backup Justin Fields, who's likely Seattle's best-possible addition at the position this offseason if he does hit the market. Daniel Jones and Jacoby Brissett also made the cut for this tier.

Obviously it's a big dropoff for Wilson, who was generally considered a top-10 starter just three years ago before he was dealt to Denver. Here's what ESPN had to say about the ranking.

ESPN on a diminished Russell Wilson

"Despite earning a Pro Bowl nod, Wilson was a below-average starter after entering the lineup; the 36-year-old's 51.3 Total QBR ranked 21st in the league from Week 7 onward. He protected the football and hit the occasional moon shot, but he took sacks on just under 9% of his dropbacks and turned only one-third of his pass attempts into first downs... As a safe pair of hands and little else at this point, the most logical landing spot for the 10-time Pro Bowler would be ... the Steelers, who don't seem desperate to keep him."

nfl — ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 30: Russell Wilson #3 of the Pittsburgh Steelers and AFC looks on during the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Skills Showdown on January 30, 2025 at the UCF Campus in Orlando, Florida. | (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Entering his 11th season in the NFL, Wilson's decline is now undeniable - and wherever he winds up next season might very well be his last stop as a pro- and almost certainly his last as a starter - and that's very far from guaranteed.

What Wilson does isn't very sustainable, especially since he lost his legs as a rushing weapon. It's still going to be tough to find a better backup option in 2025.

As for the rest of that free agent group - the Seahawks can't afford to sign Sam Darnold and nobody else but Fields is even worth a second look. If they are going to move on from Geno Smith, a significant step back at quarterback for at least a year appears to be unavoidable.

ESPN on a diminished Russell Wilson

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