Why did Russell Wilson leave Seattle?

Russell Wilson is a Seattle Seahawks legend. He was a key part of the success of the storied franchise in the past decade alongside legendary names like Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman.

The shot caller proved an array of doubters wrong during his time with the Seahawks, and in return, the fans took a liking to his easy guy persona.

However, in sports, all good things will one day come to an end, and the sun did set on Wilson's Seattle Seahawks career, with the star making a switch to the Denver Broncos. Here, we would be looking into the reason(s) why Russ left Seattle and whether he made a mistake with such a decision.

You would be hard-pressed to find a quarterback in the Seahawks' history that was as pivotal to the Seattle franchise during his time there as Wilson. The dual-threat quarterback had it all during his time, and the people of Seattle loved the old Russ.

However, in Wilson's 10th NFL season, he had what could only be described as a nightmare of a campaign. The 2021 NFL season unraveled in a nasty way for Wilson, as his side came a cropper in ways he couldn't have expected.

First, the Seahawks organization did not provide Wilson with the weapons he needed to win another Super Bowl. The lack of a top-notch supporting cast affected him last season.

This issue was steadily becoming a major one since the Seahawks lost to the New England Patriots in that infamous meltdown game. Players such as Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, and the rest of the legion of boom retired without replacements. So it was only a matter of time before the future Famer, Wilson, demanded out too.

Then, there was the lack of protection he endured for most of his Seahawks career. As out of the few world-beating QBs in the league, Wilson had arguably the worst offensive line in the entirety of the league.

Just put yourself in Wilson's shoes as he watched peers like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and even Big Ben Roethlisberger enjoy pocket protection. It wouldn't have felt nice. Russ was sacked nearly 400 times in his career - the most in a player's first nine seasons since the 1970 merger.

Wilson though, a typically subdued and mellow character, did not find it difficult to call out the Seahawks organization last season, as it was crystal clear that the he had enough. It might not have rubbed off the core fans the right way, but it's pretty clear that the shot caller had no intentions of being a Seahawk for life.

Did Russell Wilson make a mistake leaving Seattle?

Russell Wilson is arguably the greatest quarterback in the Seattle Seahawks' history and easily one of their top five players. He owns over 15 Seattle Seahawks records, including the highest passer rating, highest career completion percentage, most career rushing yards by a quarterback, the lowest percentage of passes intercepted, and many more.

Hence, you could say that he had nothing left to prove in Buzz City, but you couldn't be more wrong.

Russell Wilson made a huge mistake by leaving the Seattle Seahawks, as even he could not predict how difficult transitioning from Seattle to Denver would be. Russ left a system that was tailor-made to suit his unique style of play. Now, he is at a Denver Broncos team that seemingly has a quarterback curse since Peyton Manning left.

Wilson is averaging career-low numbers across the board in his first season away from the team that drafted him, and truth be told, we aren't sure that it will get better. The reason was that Russell Wilson left the Seahawks at the worst possible time, a time when he needed stability more than anything else.

Then again, maybe Russ could start cooking; maybe this is just a slight bump in a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, maybe it's his weapons that suck, and maybe we are just tripping.

However, till he proves one or all of the above, it is crystal clear that Russell Wilson made a mistake by forcing a move out of the franchise that selected him 75th overall in 2012.

Russell Wilson's Timeline

Russell Wilson is a legendary quarterback who has played most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, a side that selected him in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback in the air and on the ground, thus giving him an air of unpredictability anytime he steps foot on the Gridiron.

However, Wilson does not have the archetypal build you expect in a quarterback, as he is 5'11" tall and weighs just over 98 kg.

Russell Wilson has had a very successful start to his NFL career. The Wisconsin University alum has bagged a Super Bowl, nine Pro Bowl selections, an NFL passer rating leader award, an NFL passing touchdowns leader, and more.

Russell Wilson is in his first season away from the Seahawks, as he was traded to the Denver Broncos following the 2021 NFL season for a boatload of assets. He has six total touchdowns playing for the Broncos in the 2022 NFL season as of now.