Russell Wilson has faced heavy criticism since being traded by the Seattle Seahawks following the 2021 season. The former Super Bowl champion has since bounced between Denver, Pittsburgh, and now New York, with each stop bringing its own set of challenges.
Still, Wilson isn’t backing down. He’s standing by his career, pushing back against the recent negativity and emphasizing that his 14 years in the NFL should be seen as a success, not a failure.
Russell Wilson Pushes Back on Criticism About His Career
Wilson was never supposed to be a Super Bowl Champion, make an NFL All-Pro team, or appear in the Pro Bowl 10 times throughout his career, but that’s precisely what he did.
Super Bowl XVIII Champs! 1st one in Franchise History! God is so good! #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/PyCulRPODa
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 3, 2014
Wilson was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He earned the starting job after Matt Flynn suffered an elbow injury related to tendinitis during the preseason. He went on to be the Seahawks’ starting quarterback for the next 10 seasons.
However, at the end of the 2021 season, the Seahawks made the shocking move to trade Wilson to the Denver Broncos. Since then, he has struggled to return to being one of the top quarterbacks in the game.
The Broncos cut the quarterback after just two seasons. Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him to a one-year deal but did not re-sign him after he led them to a playoff appearance. Now Wilson is on another one-year contract with the Giants.
Much has been made of his career in the post-Seahawks era, but now Wilson is clapping back against the criticism in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr.
Russell Wilson is ready to prove he’s still got it in New York.@ConorOrr sat down with the QB to discuss the new chapter in his career https://t.co/cKc5VF2cJl pic.twitter.com/BR50CnbSqn
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 15, 2025
Wilson believes that, despite the struggles he’s faced since leaving the Seahawks, his career as a whole has been highly successful in the bigger picture.
“It’s called a career,” Wilson told Orr. “You look back at somebody’s career over a 20-year period, I would say that 18 or 19 or even 17 of my 20 years, if they’re great years, would you complain? And I think that everything in life happens for a reason.”
From 2010 to 2019, Wilson ranked 11th in the league in passing yards and ninth in passing touchdowns. He won the NFC West with the Seahawks four times and the NFC Championship twice.
So, while yes, the last few seasons have not gone Wilson’s way, he truly has had a remarkable career playing quarterback at the highest level.
Wilson looks to find some sort of solid footing in New York as he battles with first-round pick Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston for the starting job, but even if it doesn’t pan out with the Giants, there’s no denying what he has been able to do in the league.
