Is it possible for a player who was once considered a potential first-ballot Hall of Famer to play himself out of a gold jacket late in his career? Tony Gonzalez seems to think so. The NFL analyst spoke during Thursday Night Football's pregame show, discussing former Pittsburgh Steelers and current New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson had a tremendous 10-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks. But Gonzalez believes what the 36-year-old has been doing over the last four years could ultimately make him fall short of Hall of Fame status, and getting benched by the Giants less than four weeks into the season may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
When asked if he thought we have seen the last of Wilson in the NFL, Gonzalez gave a blunt response.
"Honestly, I hope we have," Gonzalez said on TNF. "And I say that because, just looking at him, in his career, his legacy like you talked about, if ever there was somebody who played himself out of the Hall of Fame, it's Russell Wilson."
Gonzalez continued by explaining that what he did late in his career—the ultimate backslide with Denver, Pittsburgh, and New York—is what should get him booted from the Hall of Fame discussion.
"And I say that because look at what's happened. Ever since he left Seattle. When he was in Seattle he was the man. He was making these good plays. He won a Super Bowl; went to two of them. But as soon as he left there, he went to Denver, signed that big old deal. They paid him $39 million to leave. He goes to Pittsburgh, plays there one year. He's out of there. Now he goes [to New York] and has three games."
Gonzalez concluded his thoughts on Wilson by reiterating that he has harmed his football reputation since leaving Seattle and that it will only get worse if he tries to stick around the league longer.
"I just don't think he's done himself any favors since he left Seattle, and how's it going to get better?"
The worst part is that former teammate and All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman backed Gonzalez's thoughts on Wilson, saying he agrees.
Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson may no longer be a lock to make the Hall of Fame
It's one thing for Tony Gonzalez to argue why Wilson isn't deserving of the Hall of Fame; it's another entirely to see his former Super Bowl teammate make the same case. And if respected former players and NFL analysts are already making these claims before the long-time quarterback hangs up his cleats for good, it may tell you how Associated Press voters might be feeling.
Wilson made nine Pro Bowls in his first 10 NFL seasons while winning one Super Bowl and appearing in another. During his tenure with head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle, Wilson worked his way to a spectacular record of 104-53-1 while throwing for over 37,000 yards with 292 touchdowns and 87 interceptions.
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Unfortunately for Wilson, the script flipped entirely after leaving the Seahawks.
Over his last four years, Wilson led the Broncos, Steelers, and Giants to a combined record of 17-27 while throwing 61 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Though his box score numbers still look respectable on paper, much of his production over the past four years came when his teams were already getting blown out.
Wilson proved late in his career that he's not a quarterback capable of elevating the play of his team around him or one who can go toe-to-toe with the league's top signal-callers. This is the part that will really hurt his legacy and could ultimately sway AP voters.
Even if Russell Wilson retires after the 2025 season, we will have to wait a minimum of five years to see what Hall of Fame voters think of him when he's up for nomination. Wilson was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the history of the game over his first ten seasons. Now, we'll have to see if he did enough damage to his reputation to destroy his Hall of Fame chances altogether.