The accolades continue to pile up for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who has appeared near the top of just about every ranking of NFL players or quarterbacks you can find this offseason.
And on Wednesday, Wilson was again honored as one of the very best at what he does, ranking second on the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2020 list behind only Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The NFL Network's Top 100, which began in 2011, is voted on by NFL players and has included Wilson for eight straight years dating back to the offseason following his rookie campaign, but this is the first time in the Top 10. Wilson's previous high ranking was No. 11 heading into the 2018 season.
Wilson's ranking is also the highest for a Seahawks player in 10 years of NFL Network Top 100s and third in the Top 10 joining Richard Sherman, who was No. 7 in 2014, and Marshawn Lynch, who was No. 9 in 2015.
"He has been great since before I've gotten here," Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown said last season. "His preparation is second to none just throughout the week, and it shows up on Sunday. He's the coolest person out there, never gets rattled, he makes big plays… He's just the model of consistency."
Wilson, whose career is on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory, is a seven-time Pro-Bowler who was second-team AP All-Pro last year behind unanimous league MVP Lamar Jackson. And heading into his ninth season, Wilson looks to only be getting better after coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2019. Wilson threw 31 touchdowns with a career-low five interceptions, completed 66.1 percent of his passes, and posted a 106.3 passer rating. Over the past two seasons, Wilson has posted two of the top three passer ratings of his career, as well as two of his top three completion percentages, two of his best four yards-per-attempt averages, two of his lowest three interception totals, and two of his top four touchdown totals.
Yet for all the impressive numbers Wilson has posted in his career—his 101.2 career passer rating ranks second all-time behind Aaron Rodgers, and his 100 touchdown passes over the last three seasons are an NFL high, by 15 touchdowns—what has defined Wilson's career most has been team success. Since Wilson and Bobby Wagner joined the Seahawks in 2012, Seattle has reached the playoffs seven times in eight years, been to two Super Bowls and won one. Wilson's 86 regular season wins are tied with Tom Brady for the most by a quarterback in his first eight seasons in the Super Bowl era.
"With Russell back there, it doesn't matter, you have a chance," Carroll said last season. "You have a chance no matter what's going on."
As veteran linebacker K.J. Wright put it last season, "If you've got Russell back there at quarterback, you've got a great chance of winning."
After Wilson helped lead the Seahawks to a Wild Card playoff win over the Eagles, Wright added, "He's just a guy that's so consistent, so poised, he can just make something out of nothing. I just love him and I'm glad he's my quarterback."
Wilson is the sixth player on the current Seahawk roster named to this year's Top 100, joining linebacker Bobby Wagner (13), safety Jamal Adams (27), receiver Tyler Lockett (65), receiver DK Metcalf (81) and running back Chris Carson (96). Also included was free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who ranked 41st after spending 2019 with the Seahawks.
Also, with three former Seahawks making this year's top 100, Carroll and general manager John Schneider have drafted eight players in this year's Top 100: Wilson, Wagner, Lockett, Metcalf, Carson, Richard Sherman (28), Earl Thomas (75) and Frank Clark (95).
Here are the top 10 players in the NFL:
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens QB
- Russell Wilson, Seahawks QB
- Aaron Donald, Rams DE
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs QB
- Michael Thomas, Saints WR
- Christian McCaffrey, Panthers RB
- George Kittle, 49ers TE
- DeAndre Hopkins, Texans WR
- Stephon Gilmore, Patriots CB
- Derrick Henry, Titans RB
A look back at some of the best photos of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson from the 2019 season.