Russell Wilson’s first season in Denver was a disaster. The Broncos doubled down on Wilson this offseason when they traded for Sean Payton to become their new head coach, primarily to fix Wilson and the offense.
The Broncos have played Wilson consistently this preseason to acclimate to Payton’s offense. Wilson does look leaner, and perhaps that will help his play in 2023.
Is Russell Wilson Playing Against the Los Angeles Rams?
Don’t expect Wilson to play in the Broncos’ final preseason game. Most final preseason games are for fringe players who may or may not make the final cuts.
Ex-NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum thinks Russell Wilson will get benched this season https://t.co/RxzJY12mej
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 25, 2023
Wilson is a veteran and doesn’t necessarily need additional work in the preseason. Whether Wilson would have played or not may have changed this week when WR Jerry Jeudy went down with a hamstring injury.
Jeudy’s injury was a reminder of how the fate of a franchise can dramatically shift in the blink of an eye. If the Broncos had any idea of playing their starters, the injury may have caused a change of heart.
What To Expect From Denver During Preseason Week 3
Don’t expect to see any starters. Payton and the Broncos coaching staff are too smart to play their most important players in a meaningless preseason game.
Two plays.
These two plays will give you reason to believe in Sean Payton and Russell Wilson this year. #AchoAnswers #BroncosCountry @MileHighReport @PostBroncos pic.twitter.com/vXSkPZFABc
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 12, 2023
Expect to see plenty of young players attempting to make the team, where a strong performance could mean the difference between playing for the Broncos or receiving their walking papers.
What To Expect From Wilson in 2023
The Broncos sent several players and a ton of draft capital to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Wilson. The thinking at the time was that a high-end QB like Wilson would push the Broncos over the top and challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for the division and the conference.
The #Cardinals openly taking shots at Russell Wilson after a pre-season game 💀https://t.co/uPjHOVPw73
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 12, 2023
Unfortunately, things did not pan out that way. Wilson was a colossal disaster in 2022, and the wheels fell off for the Broncos. Denver hopes to regroup this season, but which Wilson are we getting: the version we saw in Seattle for a decade, or the shell of his former self we saw last season?
MORE: Denver Broncos 2023 Schedule
Things are off to a rocky start in Denver, with WR Tim Patrick out for the season and Jeudy nursing a hamstring that will likely cost him some time to begin the 2023 season. The good news is the Broncos have a pair of backs able to carry the load offensively, with Samaje Perine joining in the offseason and Javonte Williams returning from injury.
Wilson could have a bounce-back season under Payton, but will he?