Russell Wilson: 6 Reasons why he could be the Browns’ savior

Breaking down why Russell Wilson could be exactly what Cleveland needs in 2025

The Cleveland Browns recently had former Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson in for a visit last week, and based on a few statistical and schematic data points, he could be the best option for the team heading into 2025.

Deep Ball

It’s no secret that Russell Wilson is primarily known for his “Moon Balls” and he continues to be elite in that area.

The main reason Wilson has had such a propensity for throwing it deep has been the natural reliance on play-action throughout his career thus far. Play/Run-action schemes allow plays more time to develop downfield due to the extra time it takes carrying out fakes and there’s a greater chance of defensive backs getting sucked in during run-action.

Kevin Stefanski’s offense is focused on this exact strategy when it comes to meshing the run game with the pass, specifically with different “Keeper” schemes that consist of pin/pull and wide-zone action up front by the offensive line.

Turnover-worthy Throws

Heading into Week 14 of the 2024 season, Wilson ranked 1st in turnover-worthy throws at 1.3%. Yes, he takes quite a bit of shots downfield but he’s very calculated and accurate when doing it.

Accuracy

He’s still known as one of the more accurate quarterbacks in the league, and he completed 67.09% of total play-action attempts in 2024. This is a great data point since he also had a larger sample size in this area than any Cleveland Browns quarterback last season.

Mobility

Yes, he’s undoubtedly become less mobile over the past three to four seasons but he can still threaten teams with his legs when he needs to. Not only does this naturally work well in various read-option and play-action plays, but he’s also shown that he’s not afraid to get hit if it means getting the first down.

When the Steelers’ passing game was stalling out in weeks 16 and 17 last season, Wilson averaged over 40 rushing yards per game and successfully converted 6 first downs with his legs.

Comeback Ability

Though Russell Wilson had a down year in this category in 2024, specifically over the final five games of the season, he’s still entrenched in NFL history as one of the best 4th-quarter performers or “comeback artists”.

He has 32 career 4th-quarter comeback wins or ties since 2012 and has a 17-game average of three per season. (Better per-season 4QC and game-winning drive averages than Tom Brady)

Effectiveness on Quick Passes

Yes, Wilson throws the ball downfield more than others, but he’s also one of the most accurate on shorter passes when he gets the ball out under 2.5 seconds (70.71 comp. %).

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