The Denver Broncos made a huge bet on Russell Wilson last off-season.
Just when everybody thought they were ready to make a run at Aaron Rodgers, they turned to the Seattle Seahawks instead with a massive trade offer they just couldn’t refuse.
Moreover, they signed him to a huge contract extension even before he had taken a snap with the team, a decision that could go back to haunt them for years to come.
Wilson was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, at least in the first half of the season, while Geno Smith thrived under Pete Carroll.
Nathaniel Hackett’s play-calling, clock management, and decision-making were historically bad, but Wilson looked like a shell of himself on every dropback.
He missed his receivers in stride, failed to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage, refused to go to his second or third option, and was way off on most of his throws.
However, despite all the concerns about his contract and potential regression, newly-hired Head Coach Sean Payton sounds quite excited and confident in Wilson’s skills:
“Russell is a hard worker and has played at a high level and has won a lot of games in this league,” Payton said, per PFF. “I’m excited about him.”
Is Russell Wilson back now that Sean Payton is in town? pic.twitter.com/T8Yl3dRFgB
— PFF (@PFF) February 2, 2023
All things considered, it would be better to think that this season was just a fluke and that Russ is still an MVP-caliber quarterback, and he’ll now get to play for an actual Head Coach.
The Broncos have some promising weapons in Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Greg Dulcich, so there’s still hope at Mile High.
Then again, his numbers from last season are far from encouraging, as he went 4-11 and completed just 60.5% of his throws for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, adding 55 rushes for 277 yards and three scores.
NEXT: NFL Insider Applauds The Trade To Land Sean Payton
