What are two things that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger have in common in their first five NFL seasons? They all have earned $100 million contracts after their rookie contract expired, eventually reached the Super Bowl, yet lacked the success that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has had in that time. The argument can be made for others such as the aforementioned leaders or even defensive dynamos such as J.J. Watt to become Most Valuable Player and earn the most money in the league, but based on statistical success and the fit he has for Seattle, Russell Wilson deserves to be the highest paid player in the league.
Wilson in a Nutshell
Although he had a strong collegiate pedigree and set records for North Carolina State and Wisconsin, the average casual fan (especially watching NFL Draft Coverage on ESPN) picked Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III to lead their team because they had more appealing spotlight performances and media emphasis. However, while Luck was a top draft prospect standout at Stanford and Griffin won the Heisman Trophy, with each quarterback leading its respective team to the playoffs early in their tenure, Wilson led his team to the Super Bowl two of his first three seasons, unprecedented in NFL History. He also helped lead the Seahawks to a championship within two years and nearly won consecutive Super Bowls in his first three years, dispelling criticism of being strictly a mobile quarterback or game manager. Upon closer examination, Russell Wilson has achieved multiple milestones that are unseen in NFL History or are separated in decades from all other competitors.
The only game management Wilson seems to have is managing to combine a hybrid arsenal of passing and rushing, which has led to individual accomplishment and team success leading the offense. The Seahawks won 20 of the first 22 home games in his career and Wilson played the fewest games to reach that number, while the team’s 36 wins represent the highest amount of victories in a quarterback’s first three years since the Super Bowl’s inception. He has also notched 100 rushing yards in a game multiple times, which is not guaranteed for a running back and even more rare for a quarterback, and is the only quarterback in NFL history to pass for 300 yards and pass the century mark rushing in the same game. The final milestone is a feat rarely accomplished on an All-Pro or All-Madden difficulty level used in the Madden Football video games by EA Sports, but ultimately, we have to consider what a franchise player is and how Wilson fits that role.
Wilson vs. Other MVP Franchise Guys
What does it take to constitute a Most Valuable Player winner in any sport, and moreover, a franchise team member? Some argue that this mold involves the player who leads best, scores the most points, or contributes most significantly and consistently to a team’s success; if one operates on this standard, then it becomes easy to see how quarterbacks such Manning, Luck, or Brady may reign supreme in contract considerations, but new standards seem to view MVP voting procedures as tied to the player that provides the most value to his respective team.
For example, the NBA has seen the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry win the MVP Award in the 2015 Regular Season, and while one can argue that LeBron James was more valuable to the Cleveland Cavaliers, or James Harden to the Houston Rockets, these players are not the only stars or standouts on their respective teams, meaning that Curry provides more of a significant individual value to his team. He is perhaps the best player of all time beyond the arc, can create assist opportunities and lobs during transitions, and creates turnovers when needed in close games, and that is what the Warriors need above all. Conversely, Russell Wilson adds equal relative value to his team, and deserves the monetary value in return.
Pete Carroll has built a team predicated on defense, a solid running game with Marshawn Lynch and Wilson’s spontaneous offense, and a fast-paced offensive passing attack that spreads the field, and the quarterback fits best on this team than all other players. The best example to draw from is the Major League Baseball equivalent statistic, WAR, wins above replacement which accounts for the estimated difference in team wins if a given player starts a game or sits on the bench throughout; while there is no exact science governing this statistic in the NFL, Wilson provides the offensive mix of passing and rushing with efficient passing and few turnovers, which cannot be said for other teams.
After all, Brady has been replaced because of injury and Matt Cassel was able to lead the Patriots to an 11-5 record; Manning’s Broncos have the offensive nucleus that can succeed under others, as evidenced by the rumor that the team would trade him to Houston; and Andrew Luck has yet to lead the Colts to a Super Bowl. It is reasonable that other quarterbacks earn over $100 million and can be argued as MVP candidates, but Wilson has outperformed all others statistically and fits what the Seahawks need more than any leader relative to his team.
Wilson and the Long-Term Deal
If one steps into the role of a general manager or owner, he deserves the most lucrative NFL contract after considering the value that he brings to the organization, leadership success that he has developed, and the potential for long-term, dynastic status for a NFC West powerhouse and perhaps a perennial Super Bowl contender. As for that second Super Bowl, reentering the virtual realm once more, the hashtag #AskMadden trended after the event because of an errant Wilson pass that could have been a Lynch run up the gut, and yet, there is no other player that could get the Seahawks into that situation, and even finishing the job—again.