Looking at Russell Wilson's complicated Hall of Fame case - ESPN

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When the Denver Broncos formally introduced Russell Wilson as their new starting quarterback in March 2022, there were many with the team and around the NFL who believed Wilson already had a résumé worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson had won a lot. He led Seattle to eight playoff appearances and two Super Bowls, culminating with a Super Bowl XLVIII win over the Broncos to conclude the 2013 season. He also excelled individually, making the Pro Bowl nine times and having four consecutive seasons of 30-plus touchdown passes from 2017 to 2020, including a league-leading 34 in 2017 and a career-best 40 in 2020.

Then Denver sent a package including two first-round picks to Seattle to acquire Wilson. The Broncos believed he could help break a then-six-season playoff drought and return them to Super Bowl contender status, showering Wilson with a franchise-record five-year, $245 million deal. Wilson was giddy in the introductory news conference, saying his goal was to play «10 or 12 more years and hopefully win three or four more Super Bowls.»

But Wilson struggled mightily in two seasons with the Broncos and two more with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants before retiring this offseason. And with the Hall's Class of 2026 — a class that includes a first-ballot quarterback in Drew Brees — set to be enshrined Saturday, Wilson's future Canton possibilities seem cloudy, with his late-career struggles casting doubt on whether he'll make it to the Hall.

Wilson, who signed on to be an analyst for CBS after his retirement, now faces an uphill Hall of Fame climb because of a historic plunge in performance and a narrowing process for selection that has added