The Denver Broncos made a big gamble last season when they traded for Russell Wilson, not because he wasn’t a star, but because they also had Nathaniel Hackett as a rookie head coach.
The results were nothing short of a disaster, and while Wilson had Hackett as a scapegoat, that won’t be the case anymore.
As a matter of fact, NFL insider Mike Tannenbaum recently stated that he would be shocked if Wilson is the starter for all 17 games next season, as new coach Sean Payton could look to make an example out of him.
Tannenbaum took to ESPN’s Get Up to explain how Payton has made it clear that the first year of his regime will be all about setting the standard and developing culture, so he wants the young players to see that no one is safe and everybody will be held accountable.
"I would be shocked if Russell Wilson was the starter for 17 games this season. … If Russell Wilson has the smallest bump in the road, he will be benched."
—@RealTannenbaum pic.twitter.com/F75rMMJias
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 24, 2023
Payton would pretty much be saying: If I can bench Russell Wilson, what makes you think I can’t bench you?
Wilson will have a huge target on his back next season.
He was signed to a massive contract extension and had the worst season of his career, looking like a shell of himself and struggling vastly to move the chains.
The Broncos cannot afford to have another season like that, and if the ownership gives Payton the green light to bench Wilson despite that big contract of his, the rest of the team will have no choice but to fall in line and play up to the expectations.
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