Russell Wilson has had an interesting career in the NFL thus far. Being ranked 61st by his fellows in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022, Wilson has had the honor of earning nine Pro Bowl nominations while playing for the Seahawks till 2021. Skip to 2022, Russell jumped ships to Denver Broncos, where his journey has been more bitter than sweet.
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Last year, Wilson was sacked more than most QBs, along with Broncos getting the tag of having the worst offense in the league. Also, the overall disappointing performance of the Broncos after Russell’s arrival even led to the firing of their head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
While Wilson had a truly forgettable season, a QB who ended up rising through the ranks last year is Eagles star Jalen Hurts. He not only took his team to Super Bowl LVII. but also received incessant praise for his exceptional leadership skills. As a result, when NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus’ List of NFL Superstars came out, we witnessed a few changes, as compared to his list from last year.
Quarterback list welcomes Jalen Hurts and wishes Russell Wilson a parting luck
On Dan’s coveted list of superstars, seven quarterbacks were included. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson were the top five. The list was completed by adding Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. One has to admit that the list is carefully drafted with all deserving players finding a place on it. However, what happened to sink in gradually was Russell Wilson‘s omission from the list. Well, to be fair, Russell’s absence from the list seems justified due to the kind of year he had with the Broncos.
Saying “Goodbye to Russell Wilson and Welcoming Jalen Hurts,” Dan wrote, “Wilson was brought to Denver as a savior; one year later, it’s unclear the extent to which he’ll even stay in the team’s long-term plans.” Another QB from last time who didn’t find a place on the list is Dak Prescott. Dan, as mentioned above, welcomed Jalen Hurts by stating, “Hurts took a massive leap in his third season, becoming a consistent dominator for a loaded Eagles squad.”
It’s time for @DanHanzus to consider which playmakers belong in the NFL Superstar Club. Who got cut from this year’s list?https://t.co/KPWPDKWaaE pic.twitter.com/v4GWw0SQp1
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) June 29, 2023
The other category contained Running Back with four names including Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, and Jonathan Taylor. While they were referred to as the ‘fearsome foursome’ together, Chubb was given the title of the ‘best pure running back in the league.’ Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara bid an unfortunate goodbye from the list. The other categories on the list were Tight End with Travis Kelce on it, Kicker with Justin Tucker, and Wide Receiver containing 10 names.
Drawing Parallels: Jalen Hurts vs. Russell Wilson
As per Fantasy Pros, Jalen Hurts and Russell Wilson had 306 and 292 completions in passes in the 2022 season, respectively. Jalen scored 165 rushing attempts while Russell could only make it to 55. The Eagles QB also made better numbers on the passing yards with 3,701 as compared to Wilson who had 3,524. Overall, Jalen Hurts was sacked for mere 38 times in the season. Whereas, Russell clearly had a hard time being sacked 55 times.
Needless to say, the numbers speak volumes of what led to the changes in the NFL Superstar list. Denver fans would be hoping Russell Wilson to make a strong comeback in the upcoming season.
