Advertisement

Is Russell Wilson the NFL's best player? Bill Belichick doesn't 'really see anybody better'

The New England Patriots are facing the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, and Pats head coach Bill Belichick has spent a lot of time examining QB Russell Wilson’s game as part of his preparation. And Belichick likes what he sees. A lot. Really, really a lot.

At his news conference on Thursday morning, Belichick couldn’t say enough good things about Wilson. He complimented every single thing he could think of.

“This guy’s a tremendous player. Honestly I think he’s in a way maybe underrated by the media or the fans, I don’t know. But I don’t really see anybody better than this player. He can do everything. He’s obviously got great leadership, playmaking skills, he plays very well in the most critical situations in the game, his decision making, running, passing. His passing numbers are extraordinary.

“You put him up against anybody since he’s been in the league, literally anybody, in almost any category really. His winning percentage is impressive. He’s there for every game, never missed a game. He’s got a great ability to do the right thing at the right time, and he has tremendous vision and sees the field extremely well. I don’t think there’s a better deep ball passer in the league, in terms of decision making and accuracy. He attacks literally every inch of the field, you have to defend with him the deep balls, the sideline, the scrambles, his ability to get the ball to his playmakers, and space, and then you have to try to tackle him, and that’s very difficult too.”

Has Belichick been secretly hired to be Wilson’s PR agent? Because that’s a lot of praise from the opposing team’s head coach, and even more incredible considering it’s the famously reticent and closed-mouthed Belichick doing the talking.

Belichick knows what he’s talking about. He coached Tom Brady, possibly the greatest quarterback ever, for 20 seasons. He knows about great QBs, and he thinks Wilson is one of them. It seems like he’d even take Wilson over the most recent Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes or the most recent NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

Bill Belichick and Russell Wilson shake hands after a game.
Bill Belichick thinks Russell Wilson is the best player in the NFL. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Is there an ulterior motive?

There is one thing to take into account amid all this praise. The Tom Brady-less Patriots are taking on the behemoth that is the Seahawks on Sunday. Even though Pats QB Cam Newton showed flashes of his old MVP self in their win against the Miami Dolphins, the 2020 Patriots aren’t as scary as they once were, and the Dolphins don’t provide nearly the same level of competition that the Seahawks will.

Could Belichick be trying to hype up the Seahawks as a way to reduce expectations for him and the Patriots? It’s possible, because if they lose then they lost to the quarterback Belichick thinks is the best in the NFL, and if they win then they beat that same incredible quarterback.

However, is Belichick really hyping up Wilson if everything he’s saying is demonstrably true? All he’s doing is pointing out how good Wilson is, and that’s because Wilson is really, really good, not to mention really, really consistent. Belichick is just speaking the truth because he already knows what his team is going to have to deal with.

More from Yahoo Sports:

Yahoo Sports is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability is subject to change.