Russell Wilson Super Bowl Wins, Years, Teams, Scores, Stats, and More

A brief, but expensive experiment by the Denver Broncos has come to an end, as the franchise announced that it will release nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson at the start of the new league year on March 13. It did not take long, however, for "Mr. Unlimited" to find a new team to potentially resurrect his career.

Wilson, who spent his first decade in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, announced on social media Sunday that he will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2024 season. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported Wilson will sign a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum of $1.2 million, but the Broncos will pay the rest of Wilson's $37.8 million salary, as part of his five-year, $245 million contract extension he signed in 2022.

Wilson once played at an elite level in Seattle, where he led the team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, but the clock is ticking on another trip to the big game before the 35-year-old signal caller reaches the point of retirement.

Below YouBet reflects back on Wilson's career, as we look at his previous Super Bowl wins, appearances, stats, and accolades.

In what year(s) has Russell Wilson played in the Super Bowl?

In 2012, Wilson was selected by Seattle in the third round with the 75th overall pick, in the same draft class that produced first-round quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, and Brandon Weeden. Wilson was the sixth quarterback taken off the board, 18 spots behind Broncos second-rounder Brock Osweiler, but it was the former Wisconsin quarterback who went the farthest in the postseason that year as a starter.

In his rookie season, Wilson reached the Divisional Round of the postseason, where he fell 30-28 at Atlanta, who was then knocked out by San Francisco in the championship round.

The following year, Wilson did better. Leading the Seahawks to the franchise's second Super Bowl (their first was a loss to Pittsburgh in 2005), Wilson earned Seattle its first and only Super Bowl championship in 2013. He then led Seattle back to the big game in 2014 and became part of one of the most famous Super Bowl finishes in history — unfortunately for Wilson, he was on the wrong side of that history.

Which team(s) did Wilson defeat in the Super Bowl?

In 2013, the Seahawks improved from an 11-5 record in Wilson's rookie season to a 13-3 mark, with a 34-28 defeat to Luck and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, plus one-possession road losses at San Francisco and Arizona in the latter part of the season.

Tied with Denver for the best record in the league, Seattle earned a first-round bye and met sixth-seeded New Orleans in the Divisional Round, where the Seahawks won 23-15. Next up, Seattle faced fifth-seeded San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game and eked out a 23-17 victory.

In Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, though, there was no question who was going to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, the AFC's top team, the Seahawks dominated from start to finish in a 43-8 decision, one of the most lopsided scores in Super Bowl history. As a 2.5-point underdog, Seattle achieved the largest margin of victory for a Super Bowl underdog, and Super Bowl XLVIII tied the 1993 Super Bowl for the third largest point differential (35).

Defensive end Cliff Avril scored a safety on the first play from scrimmage, which set the record for quickest Super Bowl score. The Seahawks later scored on a kickoff return for a touchdown 12 seconds into the second half, making them the only team to tally a safety, kickoff return for a touchdown, and interception return for a touchdown in a Super Bowl.

The pick-six occurred in the first half, when two-time Super Bowl winner and five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning threw one of his two interceptions. Linebacker Malcolm Smith, who was named Super Bowl MVP over Wilson, intercepted one of Manning's passes and ran it 69 yards for a touchdown. Smith also recorded a fumble recovery and nine tackles.

Which team(s) did Wilson lose to in the Super Bowl?

The following season, Wilson guided Seattle to a 12-4 mark, tied with four other teams (New England, Denver, Dallas, and Green Bay) for the best record in the NFL that year. Seattle once again earned a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, before it clashed with No. 4 seed Carolina in the Divisional Round, which the Seahawks won 31-17.

In the NFC Championship Game, Seattle downed second-seeded Green Bay 28-22 in overtime to become the first team to make consecutive Super Bowl appearances since the 2004 New England Patriots. The Seahawks trailed 16-0 at halftime but rallied to secure the largest comeback win in a conference championship contest. Wilson struggled in the game, with four interceptions, but his lone touchdown pass (he also ran for a score) was the one that mattered most, as he found Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard TD to seal the victory in extra minutes.

In Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle confronted New England, who was searching for its first Super Bowl win since 2004. In an evenly-matched, back-and-forth battle, Seattle eventually gained a 24-14 lead with 4:54 remaining in the third, but the Patriots struck back with a Danny Amendola touchdown with 7:55 to go in the fourth, then went up 28-24 on a Julian Edelman score with 2:02 remaining.

But, Wilson looked like he had another comeback up his sleeve. Marching the Seahawks all the way down to New England's one-yard line, Seattle appeared destined for another Super Bowl celebration with just 26 seconds remaining on 2nd-and-goal. Yet, head coach Pete Carroll inexplicably chose to pass instead of letting lead back Marshawn Lynch run the ball into the end zone, and Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler came up with a game-saving interception, now considered one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

New England quarterback Tom Brady was subsequently named Super Bowl MVP for a third time in his career after setting a new SB record for completions (37) in the matchup.

Russell Wilson Super Bowl stats

In Super Bowl XLVIII, Wilson was able to lean on Seattle's defense in the 43-8 victory but put in a respectable performance himself. The then-second-year signal caller went 18-of-25 for 206 yards and two touchdown passes, while he also rushed for 26 yards on three carries.

In Super Bowl XLIX, Wilson completed 12 of 21 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and his lone interception was a game-deciding one. On the ground, he ran for 39 yards on three attempts. He was also sacked three times for a loss of 13 yards.

Russell Wilson Super Bowl accolades

While he has never won Super Bowl MVP or the regular-season MVP award, Wilson's name is forever etched in postseason lore. In Super Bowl XLVIII, he became just the second black starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl (Doug Williams is the other) and at 5'11", he is the shortest QB to claim the Lombardi Trophy.

Wilson is also the first quarterback to start in two Super Bowl games in his first three NFL seasons and as a rookie, he set a record for most passing yards in a playoff game when he totaled 385 in his Divisional Round loss to Atlanta.