The No. 1 quarterback in our NFC West rankings is pretty easy to list.
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has a Super Bowl ring to his name, and there’s no reason to assume he’s on the decline entering 2017.
After all, Wilson still managed to toss for a career-high 4,219 yards en route to an impressive 92.6 passer rating amid early season injuries.
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Wilson and the Seahawks offense should still be fairly prolific this season. And if Wilson’s preseason efforts against the Minnesota Vikings — 13-of-18 for 206 and two touchdowns — are any indication, Seattle’s quarterback will continue to make his case for being considered among the NFL’s elite.
There are problems, though.
Last season, Wilson suffered 41 sacks — tied for second most in the league. Granted, not all of these were the offensive line’s fault, as mobile quarterbacks tend to take more sacks than traditional pocket passers.
But it doesn’t mean the O-line was particularly good. And it might not be again in 2017. In fact, Pro Football Focus ranked this group dead last heading into this season.
This unit also suffered a major setback, losing left tackle George Fant to a season-ending ACL injury against Minnesota.
While one should expect the Seahawks to do some major reshuffling, this development certainly increases the injury risk to Wilson while decreasing his likelihood of effectiveness.
Next: NFL power rankings: 32-team preseason version
Still, Wilson remains atop the NFC West, as it’s hard to pick any other QB as a true franchise-changer.