Russell Wilson Replacing Tom Brady on NFC Pro Bowl Roster

Despite missing three games due to injury and struggling upon his return from finger surgery, Wilson will participate in his eighth Pro Bowl next weekend and earn his ninth selection overall.

With Tom Brady dropping out out the game due to injury, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been added to the NFC's Pro Bowl roster as a replacement for next weekend's all-star showcase.

Wilson, 32, endured arguably the most challenging season of his NFL career in 2021. The veteran signal caller suffered a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger during a Week 5 loss to the Rams and underwent surgery the following day, leading to an injured reserve stint that forced him to miss games due to injury for the first time in 10 seasons.

Upon his return from injury, Wilson played like a shell of himself, struggling in three straight losses to the Packers, Cardinals, and Washington Football Team. He completed just 55 percent of his passes during that trio of games, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions as the Seahawks fell to 3-8 on the season.

But while Wilson didn't play well after rushing back from his injury, he played well down the stretch as Seattle won four of its final six games. From Week 13 on, he threw 13 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions and posted a 103.7 passer rating, fifth-best in the league during that span. He also played well prior to the injury, ranking first in passer rating and completing 72 percent of his passes in the first five games.

Looking at Wilson's season holistically, even with his numbers being down across the board compared to typical production, he still finished 11th in the NFL with 25 passing touchdowns, fifth in passer rating (103.1), and fifth in yards per attempt (7.78). He also ranked third in the league in touchdown to interception ratio after only being picked off six times.

Officially replacing Brady on this year's NFC squad, Wilson has now been selected to the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 NFL seasons, including each of the past five seasons, tying a franchise record previously held by Hall of Fame tackle Walter Jones. He will serve as the third quarterback on the NFC team behind Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins, who was named as a replacement for injured Packers star Aaron Rodgers.

Wilson joins safety Quandre Diggs and linebacker Bobby Wagner as the third Seahawk to make this year's Pro Bowl squad, though he will be the only one able to participate in the game. Diggs recently underwent surgery to repair a fractured fibula and faces a 4-5 month recovery window, while Wagner opted out after missing the season finale with a knee sprain.

After years of playing the Pro Bowl in Hawaii and Orlando, the all-star event will take place in Las Vegas this season. The game will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 6 at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT and will be broadcast on ESPN.