Brett Favre Wonders Where Russell Wilson's Priorities Lie
The pressure to bounce back is on Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. After his disastrous season in 2022, Wilson enters 2023 with much to prove.
He's off to a great start. Although the Broncos lost on Sunday to the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High, 17-16, the defeat was not on Wilson. In fact, the Broncos QB ended the game 27-of-34 for 177 yards and two touchdowns, with zero turnovers.
This is encouraging as many have doubted Wilson's ability to lead Denver to the promised land of the playoffs. We know he is keeping "receipts." Add another white ticket to the pocket.
In a recent appearance on Jason Whitlock’s podcast Fearless, Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre was asked about his thoughts on Wilson’s exit from Seattle.
“I don't know Russell. I've met him a few times. I've never hung out with him. There's a reason why Seattle got rid of him or parted ways with him," Favre said. "It’s not that his play had declined; he’s physically—he's still got a lot left in the tank. That doesn’t mean it will materialize. If there's a reason they parted ways, as much good as he had done in Seattle—and he played exceptionally well. So maybe he was preoccupied with other things. I don't know. It'd be unfair for me to say one way or the other.”
Favre also went on to speculate on the reason why Seattle moved on from Wilson.
“If he is preoccupied with his brand during football season, that’s hurting everyone else. And it's the head coach's job to nip it in the bud. Sean [Payton] has a great track record.”
Maybe Favre has a point. There has been conjecture as to why Wilson’s play declined considerably last year.
New Broncos head coach Sean Payton did state his desire for Wilson to cease his campaigning.
“Will you f****** stop kissing all the babies? You’re not running for public office,” Payton said via ESPN.
Payton's remarks could signify a lack of focus on prioritizing football in Wilson. If Wilson has indeed redoubled his efforts in playing for the Broncos, Payton’s straightforward coaching style and aggressive play-calling can help to turn the QB around completely.
To do so, Payton will need to build upon what Wilson does well and provide a chance to catapult the Broncos back into competitive relevancy. Broncos fans are in a wait-and-see mode and hope that Wilson can mute skeptics like Favre.
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