The Denver Broncos appeared considerably more assured this season after a revitalized session of the team administration, coming off a terrible season of 5-12. Despite having their top player Russell Wilson in charge, they once more found themselves in the same hole.
Sean Payton admitted this season that the team’s former head coach Nathaniel Hackett was unable to properly use Wilson’s dominance. It needs to be noted that, Payton himself did not completely succeed in bringing out the quarterback’s power either.
Preseason defeat highlights continued struggles for Russell Wilson
One of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of all time, Russell joined the Broncos in March 2022. The QB had previously earned the Seahawks’ trust by demonstrating his value for ten seasons, but in his first season with the Broncos, he failed to live up to that standard.
This season, the 34-year-old has not managed to bring about any significant change so far. The Denver team’s preseason opener was on Friday, and they fell to the Arizona Cardinals 18-17. The former Seahawks player battled in the first half and had a poor start before finishing 7 of 13 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown for a quarterback rating of 102.4.
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The most notable play by the player was his 21-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy, which could at least offer Payton some solace. The Pro Bowlers’ 13 throw attempts, according to the CBS Sports report, ranked 21st among quarterbacks through the first nine preseason games of the NFL as of Saturday.
When did Wilson sign a five-year contract extension?
With the Broncos, Russell finalized an agreement on a five-year, $245 million extension that should continue through the 2028 campaign. His contract, which is the third-most lucrative in terms of guaranteed money in NFL history, contains $165 million in guaranteed money.
The Seahawks received five draft picks, including two first-round picks and two second-round picks, along with three players from the Denver team in exchange for the quarterback who gave them a dismal season. Wilson saw a career-worst 60.5 percent of his passes while starting, recording 4-11. He also threw 11 interceptions and 16 touchdowns.
Since the start of the season did not necessarily go in his favor, it will be interesting to observe how Payton develops his plan to make use of the total 11 seasons of playing experience.
