ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When the Denver Broncos formally introduced Russell Wilson as their new starting quarterback in March 2022, there were many with the team and around the NFL who believed Wilson already had a résumé worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson had won a lot. He led Seattle to eight playoff appearances and two Super Bowls, culminating with a Super Bowl XLVIII win over the Broncos to conclude the 2013 season. He also excelled individually, making the Pro Bowl nine times and having four consecutive seasons of 30-plus touchdown passes from 2017 to 2020, including a league-leading 34 in 2017 and a career-best 40 in 2020.
Then Denver sent a package including two first-round picks to Seattle to acquire Wilson. The Broncos believed he could help break a then-six-season playoff drought and return them to Super Bowl contender status, showering Wilson with a franchise-record five-year, $245 million deal. Wilson was giddy in the introductory news conference, saying his goal was to play "10 or 12 more years and hopefully win three or four more Super Bowls."
But Wilson struggled mightily in two seasons with the Broncos and two more with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants before retiring this offseason. And with the Hall's Class of 2026 -- a class that includes a first-ballot quarterback in Drew Brees -- set to be enshrined Saturday, Wilson's future Canton possibilities seem cloudy, with his late-career struggles casting doubt on whether he'll make it to the Hall.
Wilson, who signed on to be an analyst for CBS after his retirement, now faces an uphill Hall of Fame climb because of a historic plunge in performance and a narrowing process for selection that has added difficulty for players to be enshrined, especially at a competitive quarterback position. Wilson won't be eligible to be inducted until the Class of 2031, but ESPN spoke to two dozen people -- some in the league and some involved with the Hall of Fame process -- to get an idea of where his case stands.
WILSON'S PRIME WAS Hall of Fame level. His combination of passing ability, mobility and a penchant for late-game heroics was key to the Seahawks' considerable success in the 2010s. Along with eight 10-win seasons from 2012 to 2021 and nine playoff victories, Wilson also produced on the stat sheet. He threw for 4,212 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 513 yards in 2020. He also ran for 849 yards in 2014, a season in which he rushed for 47 first downs.
Wilson's 292 touchdown passes from 2012-21 was the second most in league history for a quarterback in his first 10 NFL seasons, behind only Peyton Manning's 306. And Tom Brady (324) and Aaron Rodgers (317) were the only two players with more touchdown passes than Wilson during his 10-year run in Seattle. Wilson's 113 wins as a starting quarterback (regular season and postseason combined) was the most for any NFL player in his first 10 seasons, too.