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Certain quarterbacks tend to dominate the NFL headlines each week. Tom Brady, for example, is an all-time great; Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are redefining modern football with their raw talent and athleticism. Russell Wilson, however, always seems to remain in the background.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson set a new NFL record on Sunday.
With another winning season, Russell Wilson stands alone in the NFL record books. | Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images

Despite that lack of attention, Wilson has established himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. In fact, he recently set an all-time NFL record, earning him a place alone in the history books.

Russell Wilson’s NFL career

While Russell Wilson has established himself as a premier quarterback, he didn’t always seem bound for gridiron greatness. He famously played both baseball and football at North Carolina State, but, in 2011, everything changed.

After failing to receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, Wilson transferred to Wisconsin. He didn’t miss a beat with the Badgers, throwing for 33 touchdowns while running for six more and leading the team to the Rose Bowl. That spring, the Seattle Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round of the NFL draft.

While the club had recently signed Matt Flynn, Wilson won the quarterback competition and started the season under center. Seattle made the playoffs that season, but fell in the divisional round; the next year, Wilson led them to a Super Bowl title. He’s hit a few snags since then—he threw the game-deciding interception in Super Bowl XLIX, played through injury in 2016, and missed the playoffs completely in 2017—the quarterback bounced back. While Marshawn Lynch and the Legion of Boom have moved on, Russell Wilson is still leading the Seahawks to victory.

The best start in NFL history

On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks improved to 9-2 after a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. While the game might not have been an offensive masterpiece, it still made history for Russell Wilson.

The win ensured that Seattle will finish the year with a winning record; the last time they finished below .500 was 2011, the year before Wilson joined the club. That means the quarterback has earned winning records in each of his first eight NFL seasons. No other QB has started his career with that streak of success.

Given Wilson’s road to the NFL, the accomplishment has to be extra sweet. 31 other teams felt that he was too short to play quarterback at the highest level; now, he’s started his career with an unprecedented streak of winning seasons. It might take an entire time to win a football game, but Russell Wilson has been instrumental to the Seahawks’ success.

How long can Wilson’s winning streak last?

Russell Wilson hasn’t had a losing campaign during his first eight NFL seasons, but he still has a long career ahead of him. The quarterback has said he wants to play until he’s 45-years-old; how long can he keep finishing above .500?

As of now, it looks like the streak should last for at least a few more years. The Seahawks have a potent offense and stability on the coaching staff and under center; in the NFL, those factors can paper over plenty of cracks. Their defense hasn’t been great this season, but they have some promising players on that side of the ball.

While it won’t be fun playing the 49ers twice a year, Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks should keep finishing above .500 for the foreseeable future. Even if the streak stops before age 45, the quarterback has established himself as a modern great.

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Senior Writer, Programmer

Joe Kozlowski

Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie.

Growing up loving Shaquille O’Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he’s continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives.

As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He’s barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe’s big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level.

Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.