Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is playing in his 13th career season. He came into the league in 2012 and found near-instant stardom with the Seahawks.
After years of chasing that initial success, he and Seattle eventually parted ways. Wilson ended up on the Broncos in an infamous situation that lasted only two years and left Denver in cap space hell for a season. The veteran then signed with the Steelers, joining a re-vamped quarterback room consisting of himself and Justin Fields.
Here, we will take a more in-depth look at Wilson’s tenure in the NFL, covering his landing spots and career earnings along the way.
Where did Russell Wilson go to college?
Wilson was a two-star prospect coming out of high school. He had an offer to play football at Duke, but he chose to go with one of their ACC rivals instead. Wilson attended college from 2007-11, beginning his career at NC State University, notably playing baseball and football.
Wilson redshirted in 2007 and took over as the starting quarterback in 2008. He spent three seasons at NC State but declared after the 2010 football season that he would be attending spring training with the Rockies in 2011. Colorado drafted him in the fourth round in the 2010 MLB draft. He actually played some minor league ball that summer but returned to the Wolfpack in the fall of 2010.
NC State head coach Tom O’Brien had concerns over Wilson’s commitment to the football team, and he was released from his scholarship in April 2011. The quarterback signed with Wisconsin a few months later and ended his career with the Badgers, leading them to an 11-3 record.
Russell Wilson’s college stats
Russell Wilson draft class
Wilson told the Rockies that he would not attend spring training in 2012 and wanted to focus on his NFL career. He was the sixth quarterback chosen in the 2012 NFL Draft, and Seattle selected him 75th overall. The biggest knock for him in conversations ahead of the draft centered around his height. Wilson was measured at 5-10 5/8, making him one of the shorter quarterbacks of all-time. He ended up being the sixth of 11 quarterbacks taken in that class.
2012 NFL Draft QBs
RoundPickTeamPlayerCollege
Seahawks (2012-2021)
Wilson didn’t wait long to make a difference for Seattle and was named the starter of free agent signee Matt Flynn. He led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record as a rookie before going 13-3 in 2013, winning the NFC West. Wilson helped Seattle win its only Super Bowl with a 43-8 win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Wilson led the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl the next season, but that is the infamous Super Bowl in which head coach Pete Carroll decided to have Wilson pass on the goal line late in the fourth quarter rather than handing off to Marshawn Lynch. Malcolm Butler’s interception ended the game, securing a win for the Patriots.
Wilson was with the Seahawks for the next seven seasons. Seattle only won the NFC West two more times and never made it past the divisional round of the playoffs. The Seahawks had a losing record in 2021, marking the first time that happened with Wilson under center. Reports began to surface that Wilson had “checked out midseason,” and the team had a falling out with him. He was traded during the 2021 offseason to the Broncos.
Broncos (2022-2023)
Denver sent Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick to Seattle for Wilson and a fourth-round pick. The Broncos were convinced they had found their franchise quarterback in the move and promptly signed him to a massive five-year, $245 million extension.
Wilson was one of many changes for the Broncos, as Nathaniel Hackett was brought in as head coach to replace Vic Fangio. Hackett succeeded in Green Bay as the offensive coordinator working with Aaron Rodgers, who had won back-to-back MVPs. The success didn’t translate to Denver, and Hackett was fired after starting the season 4-11.
Wilson and the Broncos were 5-12 in 2022, and then the front office brought in Sean Payton to be the next head coach. Payton and Wilson were solid and had a better season, but it was still clear that Wilson and Denver were not the perfect match the Broncos envisioned when they signed him.
Wilson was benched with two games left in the 2023 season. This move was made due to injury guarantees in Wilson’s contract. Even with a huge dead cap penalty, the Broncos decided to release Wilson in the 2024 offseason, giving him a fresh start and the ability to sign for the veteran minimum with a team of his choosing.
Steelers (2024-present)
Despite trading for Justin Fields, Pittsburgh also signed Wilson to be its starting quarterback. His season was slow to get going because he suffered a calf injury in the preseason that ended up being worse than initially expected and sidelined him until Week 7. The Steelers were 4-2 under Fields, and the move to Wilson was initially scrutinized. After making it, though, Wilson won four games in a row and has the Steelers on top of the AFC North.
Russell Wilson NFL career earnings
Over his 12-year career, Wilson has earned $305.36 million. He had the unfortunate timing of coming into the league well before the monster contracts were handed out to quarterbacks earlier in their careers, but Wilson still is seeing a hefty payday thanks to the Broncos cutting him. The quarterback is being paid $37.79 million by Denver this year, and $1.21 million by Pittsburgh. He will be a free agent at the end of the season barring an extension from the Steelers.