Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay stated during a press conference on Sunday that his front office personnel planned to draft quarterback Russell Wilson in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft had he not fallen to the Seattle Seahawks.
“I know we were going to take Russell Wilson the year we took Andrew in the fourth round, but he was gone in the third,” Irsay said. “We would have taken him, but that’s a long story.”
The Colts selected Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick that year after releasing longtime signal-caller Peyton Manning. They had their QB of the future but were planning on selecting Wilson to back him up.
That plan failed as the Seahawks selected Wilson at No. 75 overall in the third round of the draft. It is safe to say that Seattle does not regret the pick, as the Seahawks have seen a run of success under Wilson and coach Pete Carroll that has been unprecedented in franchise history, including a Super Bowl title.
Luck was one of the most hyped quarterback prospects in NFL history, so it is easy to understand why the Colts drafted him when they had the chance. Luck would show flashes of brilliance but unfortunately retired early at 29 years old after suffering numerous injuries throughout his career.
However, this worked out immensely well for the Seahawks as it enabled them to draft Wilson, who has largely proven the doubters wrong after hearing concerns about his short stature.
Wilson is now in the prime of his career and hoping to lead Seattle to another Super Bowl title in 2020.
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