Russell Wilson: To be or not to be elite

The term “elite” is thrown around quite often when talking about NFL quarterbacks and the impact they have on the field. Opinions will always rage as to whether specific individuals are franchise QBs versus being a game manager. Recent conversations have questioned where Seattle Seahawks leader, Russell Wilson falls within the category of an elite QB. When looking at his resume to date, this is a very difficult point to complete.

KC Joyner of NFL Insider presented a piece on ESPN.com which argues whether or not Wilson should be considered an elite player at his position. As the conversation turns towards Wilson’s upcoming contract situation, Joyner presented statistical reasoning to support the idea that he should not be considered an elite quarterback in comparison to his peers.

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Joyner makes a strong case that is hard to refute, however numbers are not the only gauge to determining whether or not Wilson should be considered an elite player.

The main knock that is pushed against Wilson is the fact that his QBR number is below average of some of his peers. According to Pro-Football Reference, at the end of the 2014 season his number sat at 62.4 which were considerably lower than recent Super Bowl winners Tom Brady (74.3), Joe Flacco (67.3) and Eli Manning (70.93).

However, that point shows why stats can’t be the only basis of this conversation. Wilson’s quarterback rating of 95 is higher than that of both Manning (92.1) and Flacco (91). Depending on who is asked QBR is used more often than QB rating, but the disparity between the numbers and Wilson’s rank create some cloudiness around whether or not either figure is a factor in whether or not he is considered elite.

On the other side of the equation, there is the question about the players he has around him. Outside of Marshawn Lynch, it is hard to find an All-Pro weapon on the offensive side of the ball. Still, Wilson was capable of delivering strong and consistent passing numbers. He’s shown the ability to get the most out of players that haven’t had spectacular seasons to date. Many of the QBs that have earned the “elite” designation played the game with a core of offensive weapons to help elevate their performance on the field. Wilson has yet to have the opportunity to do so with a high profile receiver.

Along with his abilities as a passer, Wilson performs very well as a running threat. He earned 849 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. Being a double threat is an important part of playing QB today and Wilson shows that he can fit within that role.

The last point to make in support of Wilson being considered an elite quarterback is the value that he adds to Seahawks roster. It’s clear that he is the leader of this unit. Other QBs such as Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Manning are often lauded for being the voice that drives the team on the field. Wilson fills the same need for the Seahawks and this elevates his value to not only this unit, but another team looking for a star leader to add to their roster.

Winning a Super Bowl is no longer enough to be considered an elite player in the NFL. While Wilson has a ring to his name, he still has work to do if he’s going to be added to a list of high-quality play callers. Still, he is much closer than some are willing to give him credit for at this time.

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