All devoted NFL fans should be surprised to find that Seattle Seahawks’ Quarterback Russell Wilson has had zero MVP votes, ever. Yes, you heard me correctly not one MVP vote and only one Team All-Pro honor. The NFL may have a Russell-Gate on their hands as the captain of the “New Patriots of the NFL” appears to have been snubbed.
I say enough with the semantics, lets dive into some stats…shall we?
Stats:
Russell Wilson has been in the NFL for 8 years and has been to two Super Bowls (1x Champion), selected to 6 Pro Bowls, 15 playoff games, and has an overall passing completion rate of 64.5%. So, what gives? You know how we do it at the Awful Sports News so let’s go deep.
Russell Wilson entered the NFL in 2012 as a 3rd round pick to the Seattle Seahawks. Upon entering the NFL, Russell played 16 games, passed for 3,118 yards, 26 TDS, 10 INTS, a passing completion percentage of 64.1%, and a QBR of 72.7. This amazing performance helped the young pup come away with a Pro Bowl selection. Still, no MVP votes. Let’s go deeper.
2013 (legit):
• MVP, 1st Team QB Peyton Manning (5,477 yards, 55 TDS, 10 Ints), 2nd Team All-Pro Philip Rivers (4,478 yards, 32 TDS, 11 Ints) (Russell: 3,357 yards, 26 TDS, 9 Ints)
2014 (Legit):
• MVP, 1st Team QB Aaron Rodgers (4,381 yards, 38 TDS, 5 Ints), 2nd Team All-Pro Ben Roethlisberger (4,952 yards, 32 TDS, 9 Int) (Russell: 3,547 yards, 20 TDS, 7 Ints)
2015 (Legit, barely):
• MVP, 1st Team QB Cam Newton (3,837 yards, 35 TDS (10 rushing TDS), 10 Ints), 1st (PFF) 2nd (AP) Team All-Pro Carson Palmer (4,671 yards, 35 TDS, 11 Ints), 2nd Team All-Pro Tom Brady (4,770 yards, 36 TDS, 7 Ints) (Russell: 4,024 yards, 34 TDS, 8 Int)
2016 (legit)
• MVP, 1st (AP) 1st (FW) 1st (PFF) Team All-Pro Matt Ryan (4,944 yards, 38 TDS, 7 Ints), 2nd (AP) 1st (PFF) Tom Brady (3,554 yards, 28 TDS, 2 Ints) (Russell: 4,219 yards, 21 TDS, 11 Ints)
2017 (Legit, Debatable)
• MVP, 1st Team All-Pro Tom Brady (4,577 yards, 32 TDS, 8 Ints) 2nd Team All-Pro Matt Ryan (4,095 yards, 20 TDS, 122 Int) Carson Wentz (3,396 yards, 33 TDS, 7 Ints) (Russell: 3,983 yards, 34 TDS, 11 Int)
2018 (Debatable)
• MVP, 1st Team All-Pro Patrick Mahomes (5,097 Yards, 50 TDS, 12 Ints) 2nd Team All-Pro Drew Brees (3,992 yards, 32 TDS, 5 Ints) (Russell: 3,448 yards, 35 TDS, 7 Ints).
2019 (Legit)
• MVP, 1st Team All-Pro Lamar Jackson (3,127 yards, (1,206 yards rushing), 36 TDS, 6 Ints) 1st (PFF) 2nd (AP) Team All-Pro Russell Wilson (4,110 yards, 31 TDS, 5 Ints)
Now, looking at the stats provided we can see that there were times when other players flat out beat him for MVP and All-Pro honors; however, there are a few years where Russell was on the cusps of winning All-Pro honors (2015, 2017 and 2018 should have been awarded). So, why no MVP votes? Let’s go deeper.
Since Russell has been in the NFL, he and the Seattle Seahawks have been to the playoffs 7 times (Russell has been in the league for 8 years). In the 15 playoff games that he’s played in, he has accumulated the following: 3,612 yards, 23 TDS, 11 Ints, and a 62.3% passing completion rate. Still, no MVP nods?
In sum, there is no reason why Russell Wilson hasn’t gotten MVP votes and a few more All Team Honors. It’s borderline criminal looking at his stats and consistency and seeing how he’s been overlooked. Have there been years where other players were just flat out better? Yes. Have there also been years where Russell deserved his place at the table? Yes. Still, there is overwhelming evidence that suggests that there was been some funny business going on. (I’ve always wanted to say that)
With that said, “Do you think Russell Wilson has been snubbed in All-Pro Honors and MVP votes?” or do you believe, “Wilson just has bad luck being overshadowed by random players by coincidence?”
Let me know below.
Honorable mention:
Kurt Warner (Hall of Famer, 2x Team All Pro, and 2x MVP) had 20,552 yards, 125 TDS, and 83 Ints in his first 8 STARTING seasons in the NFL (1999 to 2006). Russell Wilson , on the other hand, has had 29,734 yards, 227 TDS, and 68 Ints his first 8 starting years in the NFL. Im done.
(Photos Getty Images)
All stats provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Russell Wilson 2019 Highlights
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