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Russell Wilson can't even save Seahawks all-time QB ranking

The Seattle Seahawks have had some standout quarterbacks, but their overall history at the position isn't exactly stellar.
Jan 9, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) takes the field for pregame warmups against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
Jan 9, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) takes the field for pregame warmups against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

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When the topic of Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks comes up, Russell Wilson is normally the first player that comes to mind.

While he may be somewhat of a controversial figure nowadays, Wilson was still a dependable option throughout his time in Seattle, earning nine Pro Bowl selections in 10 seasons and helping the team win its first, and so far only, Super Bowl in 2013. He had some help from one of the greatest defenses of the 21st century early on, but near the end of his time in Seattle, he was the undisputed face of the franchise.

That begs the question, though: who comes after him?

Seahawks QB history named a 'mixed bag'

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin and Bryan DeArdo ranked every NFL team's quarterback history, and placed the Seahawks at No. 23 in the "mixed bag" tier. They named Wilson, Dave Krieg, Matt Hasselbeck and Jim Zorn as the top quarterbacks in the franchise's 50-year history.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck
Jan 16, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) reacts after a failed third down during the second half of the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images | Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images

"Seattle has enjoyed steady quarterback play for nearly the entirety of its 50-year existence," DeArdo wrote. "While his career has fizzled since leaving Seattle, Wilson still has a good chance of being the first Seahawks quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame thanks to his decade-long run as a title-winning dual threat."

All four of the aforementioned players threw for more than 20,000 yards in a Seahawks uniform, and three of them posted a winning record as well. Zorn went 40-60 as the Seahawks' starter, but with him being the team's first-ever starting quarterback, he deserves a bit of a pass.

The problem is, there's not a ton of good quarterbacks after them. There's a major dropoff in all-time passing yards between Zorn (20,122) and Geno Smith (12,961). The records also take a significant drop off, even if Smith, Rick Mirer, Jon Kitna and others were decent.

With Sam Darnold likely being a short-term bridge option, it may be a while before another Seahawks quarterback breaks into the Mount Rushmore, so to speak.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.