Russell Wilson has become a meme of sorts since being traded to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 season. The longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback has struggled to lead Denver to success through his first 20 starts and has become better known for his meme-able comments rather than on-field play.
That mocking has continued this season amid a 1-4 start for the Broncos heading into their Thursday Night Football clash with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Denver’s Struggles Since Acquiring Russell Wilson
Wilson’s time in Denver led to the creation of a now well-recognized meme not long after his arrival.
After spending his first 10 NFL seasons in Seattle, the veteran quarterback was traded to the Broncos on March 8, 2022, in exchange for a huge haul.
MORE: Revisiting the Russell Wilson Trade
Denver gave up quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and defensive lineman Shelby Harris along with a total of five draft picks across the 2022 and 2023 drafts.
A few months later, Wilson’s now infamous “Broncos country, let’s ride” quote was born.
#BroncosCountry , LET’S RIDE! pic.twitter.com/7rTOZ1uIhx
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 2, 2022
The clip instantly became a meme across the NFL community and has only grown in popularity due to Denver’s struggles since acquiring Wilson.
The Broncos posted a 5-12 record last season, including a 4-11 mark across Wilson’s 15 starts on the year.
Wilson completed 292 of 483 passes at a career-low 60.5% completion rate for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in one of the down years of his career.
The team’s struggles have continued in 2023 amid a 1-4 start, with another tough test awaiting Thursday night against the Chiefs.
Memes referring back to Wilson’s quote have persisted as a result.
Russell Wilson: Broncos country. Let’s ride!
The ride: pic.twitter.com/Lwz1cl6sz8
— GeoffinLincoln (@GeoffinLincoln) October 8, 2023
Wilson’s Improved 2023 Production
Despite what the continued memes might indicate, Wilson has actually had a resurgent season thus far in 2023.
The longtime signal-caller has upped his completion percentage significantly, going 109 of 163 (66.9%) for 1,210 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and just two interceptions thus far. Wilson is tied for second in the league in passing touchdowns and 12th in total passing yards.
He’s helped Denver remain competitive in most of its games. Their 70-20 defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 was the team’s only loss by more than 10 points this season.
The Broncos fell 17-16 to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, then 35-33 to the Washington Commanders in Week 2 before taking a Week 4 win over the Chicago Bears, 31-28, then falling 31-21 to the New York Jets last week.
Sure, the memes are funny, but they should not distract from the fact that Denver’s 2023 struggles have less to do with Wilson’s play and more to do with issues elsewhere.