Russell Wilson

Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and two seasons for the Denver Broncos. With the Seahawks, Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl nine times and helped Seattle win their first Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl XLVIII. He is regarded as one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time.

Wilson played college football and baseball for the NC State Wolfpack from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to the Wisconsin Badgers in 2011, where he set the single-season FBS record for passer rating and led them to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl. He also played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011 as a second baseman. The Seattle Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft. He tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns and was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. Wilson then led the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl XLVIII and losing Super Bowl XLIX after Wilson was intercepted at the goal line by Malcolm Butler.

Wilson holds the record for most wins by an NFL quarterback through nine seasons and is one of five quarterbacks with a career passer rating over 100. In 2019, he signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Seahawks, becoming the highest-paid NFL player at the time. In 2020, he became the third quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Wilson was traded to the Broncos in 2022 and later signed a five-year, $245 million extension. His time with the Broncos was marred with disappointment, with the Broncos having the league's worst scoring offense in 2022. Wilson was benched near the end of the 2023 season and was released in the offseason, later signing a one-year deal with the Steelers.

Noted for his philanthropy, Wilson was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2020 and was the recipient of the Bart Starr Award in 2022. Wilson is also part owner of the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). After he purchased his minority stake, the Sounders won the 2019 MLS Cup. Provided by Wikipedia