Ex-Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Ranked Peyton Manning Last… and Seattle Fans Know Why

Russell Wilson just stepped into an all-time QB argument… and he did it with one Seahawks sentence.

In a new Hot Ones Versus episode with Ciara, the ex-Seahawks quarterback was asked to rank four QBs by “gridiron abilities”: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, and Russell Wilson. Wilson’s order: Brady first, Mahomes second, Wilson third, and Manning fourth — and the explanation is what instantly made it feel like a Seahawks clip instead of just a spicy wing challenge.

Wilson put Manning last, and the only explanation he gave was the one Seahawks fans will never forget: “only because I beat Peyton in the Super Bowl.”

Russell Wilson’s “one reason” points straight to Seahawks history

That one line is a direct nod to Super Bowl XLVIII, when Wilson’s Seahawks dismantled Manning’s Broncos 43-8 on February 2, 2014.

It’s also why the moment plays so well for Seattle readers: Wilson didn’t try to make a whole all-time argument on the spot. He grabbed the cleanest, loudest proof point he has — a championship win over a legend — and used it to justify putting himself ahead of Manning in a rapid-fire ranking.

Even if most fans would still rank Manning above Wilson historically (based on awards, longevity, and statistical dominance), Wilson wasn’t answering an all-time Mount Rushmore question. He was answering a game-format prompt while his mouth was on fire.

And he answered it the way an ex-Seahawk champ often does: with the ring first.

Why this clip matters now

The timing is part of why it’s traveling. Wilson’s career has moved fast over the last few years — from Seattle to Denver to Pittsburgh, and then to the New York Giants on a one-year deal.

That means just about any Wilson quote gets filtered through “legacy mode” now. A fun segment turns into a debate. A quick ranking turns into a referendum. And mentioning Manning — specifically using a Seahawks Super Bowl win as the justification — is going to land differently depending on which fanbase is watching.

For Seahawks fans, it’s a reminder of the franchise’s biggest night. For Broncos fans, it’s a reminder of one of the roughest.

The other NFL moment: Wilson dodged the “worst coach” question

The QB ranking isn’t the only football-specific beat in the episode.

At one point, Ciara reads another “quickies” prompt: “Worst coach you played for?” Wilson’s response wasn’t a name; it was the wing. He chose to eat instead of answering, instantly ending what would have been a headline-generating quote.

That dodge fits the same pattern as the Manning line, in a way: Wilson is comfortable planting a flag on something positive (a Super Bowl win), but he’s not volunteering a public shot that could burn relationships across a league where everyone stays connected.

What happens next

This won’t be the last time the clip circulates. It contains too many search-magnet names — Brady, Mahomes, Manning, Wilson — and one simple “argument trigger”: does Wilson have any case to rank himself above Peyton?

But for Seahawks purposes, the story is cleaner: Wilson found a way to bring it back to the moment Seattle fans will always remember, and he did it in a setting where nobody expected a Seahawks Super Bowl callback at all. 

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