Pro Bowl alternate no more. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will replace Aaron Rodgers in game
What his coach and team saw as an error has been corrected: Russell Wilson is going to the Pro Bowl. Again.
The Seahawks and NFL announced Wednesday Wilson has been selected to play in the league’s all-star game for the fifth time in his seven pro seasons.
He had been an alternate when the teams were announced last month, something coach Pete Carroll said didn’t make a ton of sense to him.
Wilson is taking the place of Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers on the NFC roster for Pro Bowl to be played Jan. 27 in Orlando, Fla. Rodgers withdrew because of an injury.
Wilson joins All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and rookie All-Pro punter Michael Dickson as Seahawks in this year’s Pro Bowl.
Wilson broke his own Seahawks’ single-season record with 35 touchdown passes, third-most in the league during the 2018 season. Wilson matched his career-low for a season with seven interceptions, and he set his career-best with a passer rating of 110.9.
That’s all while he threw it fewer times than any other full-time starting quarterback in the NFL. Seattle had the league’s No. 1-ranked rushing offense in 2018.
Wilson is the first quarterback in NFL history to have a winning record in each of his first seven seasons, and he has the most QB wins over the first seven years of a career. This season he joined Peyton Manning as the only NFL players to throw for 3,000 yards and at least 20 touchdowns in each of their first seven seasons.
Wilson is now the Seahawks’ career leader in touchdown throws with 196, passing Dave Krieg this season. His 83 career wins, eight in the postseason, whihc broke Matt Hasselbeck’s franchise record.
Sunday, the day after the season-ending loss to the Cowboys in the playoffs, Wilson was already looking ahead to next season—and what he thinks are Seattle’s chances to be special.
“There’s nothing that we can’t do,” Wilson said of his remade team. “We’ll continue to grow. We’ll continue to mold. We’ll continue to build. That’s what I’m real excited about.
“We’ve got great things in store.”
The Seahawks have five other players as Pro Bowl alternates who still could be added to the game if others selected withdraw or advance to the Super Bowl that will be played the week after the all-star game. They are running back Chris Carson, defensive end Frank Clark, return specialist Tyler Lockett, safety Bradley McDougald, and guard J.R. Sweezy.
This story was originally published January 9, 2019 at 4:10 PM.
