Russell Wilson recently signed a four-year $87.6 million contract extension that guarantees the quarterback around $60 million. It keeps Wilson in Seattle while through the next five seasons which helps keep the franchise’s core intact throughout the next three years. Naturally there are a lot of questions about giving a quarterback that has yet to throw for 4,000+ yards such a large contract, but the Seahawks have decided that the risk is worth it.
Supporters of the deal can point to his low interception rate, his high accuracy percentage, and his incredible ability to scramble away from pressure and extend the play to justify the contract. We will just point to three plays from the turbulent 2014-15 season that justify his contract.
3) Wilson drops a dime against Green Bay
The Seahawks opened up the 2014 season against the Green Bay Packers, it was a blowout of a game that teased fans in Seattle with the exciting potential of a healthy Percy Harvin. It also showed us how good Russell WIlson is at putting the ball where only his intended target can get it…most of the time (24 seconds into the video in-case it doesn’t work).
2) Wilson breaks ankles in the Arizona desert
Seattle and Arizona were the two best teams in the NFC West last season throughout the first eleven weeks of the season. Arizona had built up a big lead in the west with Carson Palmer at the helm, but began to struggle once he went down with an injury. This allowed Seattle to catch-up in the standings, and that made the Week 16 match-up in the desert extremely important.
The Seahawks scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to secure a 35-6 victor to take over first place in the NFC West. Seattle’s victory was punctuated by Wilson’s five yard touchdown run.
1) Wilson finds Jermaine Kearse to win NFC Title game
The Seahawks played like crap in the first three quarters of the NFC Championship game. Wilson threw four interceptions throughout the entire game as the Packers led by twelve points with four minutes left in the game. But it wasn’t over for Seattle as the team scored 15 unanswered points to take a 22-19 lead before Mason Crosby kicked a game tying field goal with a 1:11 left in regulation.
Seattle won the coin toss and marched the ball down field, and then Wilson found Kearse streaking down the right hash marks.
The Seahawks may have lost Super Bowl XLIX due to an intercepted pass at the goal line, but Wilson has demonstrated a remarkable nack for coming through in the clutch and making smart decisions.
These three plays prove that his contract extension is absolutely worth it.
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Categories: NFL