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Coming out of Wisconsin in the 2012 NFL Draft, former Seattle Seahawks, and current Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was considered heavily under-sized, which played a role in him famously dropping to the No. 75 overall pick in the third round, getting drafted after Bryan Anger, a punter, by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’d go to win one Super Bowl ring with the Seahawks.
In the lens of 2023, Wilson is coming off of a tough inaugural season with the Broncos. Still, he’s had a phenomenal career to this point.
When Wilson was drafted, the Seahawks paid former Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn a massive contract. However, Wilson performed so well in the preseason that he was given the starting job.
Here, we’ll reflect on Wilson’s storied career, highlighting his Super Bowl accomplishments.
If you didn’t watch the NFL during this period, it’s hard to fully describe the defense’s dominance with the “Legion of Boom.” This defense was headlined by cornerback Richard Sherman in his prime and many other talented players like linebacker Bobby Wagner.
That said, Wilson was excellent in his second season. He threw for 26 touchdowns and ran for another.
During that postseason run, the Seahawks beat the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers before taking on the most dominant offense in NFL history, the 2013 Denver Broncos.
Peyton Manning, the quarterback for the Broncos then, was incredibly dominant that season, throwing for 55 touchdowns.
So, this game was viewed as the best defense against the best offense.
Spoiler: The defense won with ease.
The Seahawks won this game 43-8, and Wilson threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The game started with a Broncos safety, giving the Seahawks a 2-0 lead, and they never looked back.
This was one of the most lopsided Super Bowls in NFL history.
With just one Super Bowl win, Wilson is far from the top of the pack in terms of Super Bowl rings. Still, having one ring is an accomplishment, especially since it is his second season starting in the NFL.
Nonetheless, here’s how he compares to the winningest Super Bowl players in NFL history.
Player | No. of Rings | Years Won | Teams Won With |
Tom Brady | 7 | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 | New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Charles Haley | 5 | 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996 | San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys |
Ted Hendricks | 4 | 1971, 1977, 1981, 1984 | Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Raiders |
Marv Fleming | 4 | 1967, 1968, 1973, 1974 | Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins |
Matt Millen | 4 | 1981, 1984, 1990, 1991 | Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins |
Bill Romanowski | 4 | 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999 | San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos |
Adam Vinatieri | 4 | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 | New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts |
Joe Montana | 4 | 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990 | San Francisco 49ers |
Keena Turner | 4 | 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990 | San Francisco 49ers |
Eric Wright | 4 | 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990 | San Francisco 49ers |
In addition to Wilson’s Super Bowl victory, he’s appeared in two NFC Conference Championship games. Wilson is 2-0 in those games, beating the Green Bay Packers and 49ers. He’s thrown for over 400 yards and two touchdowns in these games.
Now that you know he’s won both, you know that he’s 1-1 in Super Bowl appearances, losing the other to the New England Patriots.
With two Conference Championship appearances, let’s see how he compares to some NFL legends.
Player | Finals Appearances | Winning Percentage | Years Appeared in Finals | Teams Appeared With |
Tom Brady | 14 | .714 | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 | New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Steve Young | 7 | .429 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998 | San Francisco 49ers |
Joe Montana | 7 | .571 | 1982, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994 | San Francisco 49ers |
Roger Staubach | 7 | .714 | 1971, 1972 (2 appearances same year), 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979 | Dallas Cowboys |
John Elway | 6 | .833 | 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1998, 1999 | Denver Broncos |
Terry Bradshaw | 6 | .667 | 1972, 1974, 1976 (2 appearances same year), 1979, 1980 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Aaron Rodgers | 5 | .200 | 2008, 2011, 2015, 5017, 2020, 2021 | Green Bay Packers |
Patrick Mahomes | 5 | .600 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 | Kansas City Chiefs |
Ben Roethlisberger | 5 | .600 | 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2017 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Donovan McNabb | 5 | .200 | 2002, 20223, 2004, 2005, 2009 | Philadelphia Eagles |
Brett Favre | 5 | .400 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 2008, 2010 | Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings |
Wilson is still an active player with the Broncos. As you can see from the list above, he trails other active players, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, who have five appearances.
With just one ring, Wilson pales in comparison to Brady’s seven. Wilson did have a chance at a second, but the Seahawks lost to Brady’s Patriots.
Wilson is still an active player. He’s the quarterback of the Broncos, and they just brought in a new head coach Sean Payton. The team is talented but is in a tough division and coming off a difficult 2022 season. At 34 years old, Wilson still has many seasons ahead of him.
Right now, more than a dozen active players have two Super Bowl rings or more compared to Wilson’s.
After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Journalism, Richard Janvrin has been covering iGaming and sports betting since December 2018. Richard has covered betting at Bleacher Report, Gambling.com, The Game Day, Forbes, and more.
More info on Richard Janvrin
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