NFL analyst indicates Russell Wilson might not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Russell Wilson has seen his reputation take a nose dive. It has been hard to quantify the result of the blowback, as he is still making the same salary and is the undisputed starter and highest-ranking player of the team.
However, one NFL analyst is claiming that he's never had that great of a resume to begin with, indicating that he might not have done enough to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Here's how Chris Carlin put it while speaking on First Take:
"I like Russell Wilson. He's a guy that you can go to war with. At no point during the entire course of his career has he been a top-five quarterback in the league... Every single year, it's 5 to 7 guys that were better: Peyton Manning, Roethlisberger, Brady, Luck, Brees, Rodgers, Mahomes, Romo, Cam Newton. These are guys who were better."
He continued, revealing what he believes to be the most damning exhibit:
"Russell Wilson has never not once gotten an MVP vote, not once in his entire career. That kind of tells everything to me. When I think about Hall of Fame and I want to be able to make that definitive line, is that guy a Hall of Famer? I don't feel that way about Russell Wilson."
What's at stake for Russell Wilson in 2023?
A potential Hall of Fame status? https://t.co/QYuHNeXnfF
When watching the analyst make the statement, his tone appeared to convey that he believed Wilson was close to making the cut, but wasn't quite there. For players like that, it often takes multiple ballots over a span of time to eventually get over the hump. Some NFL players wait just a few years while others wait decades.
Who decides if Russell Wilson will be a Hall of Famer?
It is unclear how long the quarterback would need to wait if he wasn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but if one thing's for sure, Carlin wouldn't rush to put him in. Of course, to get in, he doesn't need to win over every analyst in the media. To get into the Hall of Fame, one needs to pass the voting process put on by a 49-man selection committee, per the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The committee is made up of media members sent from cities holding football franchises and other big-name media members. To pass the committee vote, they need to earn 60% of the vote, which means at least 30 members of the 49-man committee need to agree.
When all is said and done, will No. 3 do enough to win 30 votes?
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.