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Russell Wilson May Be The New Doug Flutie

By Erik Lambert

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January 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter in the NFC Championship game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

One would think after two Pro Bowls, two Super Bowl appearances and a Lombardi trophy in three seasons that Russell Wilson might start getting a little more respect in NFL circles.  Yet it seems even now that the undersized quarterback can’t get any love, even from his own team.  Word leaked recently that the Seattle Seahawks are likely to use the franchise tag on him in 2016 and due to his stiff asking price may very well let him walk in 2017.

The feeling is that for all the brilliant plays he’s made as the starter, Wilson’s deficiencies have been masked thanks to the presence of the best defense in pro football and an All-Pro running back in Marshawn Lynch.  That argument was probably fueled when Wilson threw that catastrophic interception in the Super Bowl that cost Seattle the game, leading some to believe he can never truly become that passer who can carry the team on his back when the defense or running game aren’t going well.

Whether that’s totally true or not can’t be answered since the Seahawks haven’t tried to put him in that kind of offense.  However, this stigma that he isn’t worth top tier money likely has less to do with his ability as a throw, runner and leader than it does the simple fact that he’s not big enough to be considered one.

Stop if you’ve heard this story before.  NFL history buffs would immediately liken it to the tale of Doug Flutie.  Despite a stellar college career at Boston College, the 5’10” quarterback received little interest from a league that refused to believe his scrambling style and big arm would fly at their level.  Keep in mind this was after Fran Tarkenton had forged a Hall of Fame career with that same style being just two inches taller.

In the end Flutie landed in the USFL.  After that folded, he entered the NFL as a free agent with Chicago and then New England where he went 10-5 as a starter before he was released in 1990.  At that point he headed for the Canadian Football League where he became a Hall of Fame star and won three championships.

Then, just to prove a point he returned to the U.S. at age 36 with the Buffalo Bills and went 7-3 while getting the team to the playoffs.  He capped it with a Pro Bowl nod.  Flutie finished his career at age 43 with a 38-28 record, never having gotten the respect he deserve for the success he had for being a winner.  All anybody could focus on was his size.

Wilson has already accomplished more than Flutie did in terms of Pro Bowls, numbers and championships.  Yet the belief remains that his success is not his own but the product of playing on a great team.  Never mind the 18 game-winning drives and 4th quarter comebacks he’s led or his masterful leadership and understanding of the game.

Maybe the Seahawks don’t fully appreciate who he is and what he does, but if they’re crazy enough to let him walk somebody needs to put this maddening fixation on size in the NFL to an end.

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