NFL Media Ranks Russell Wilson: 'Not The Star He Once Was'
Soon-to-be former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is a fading talent whose best days are behind him — this, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook, who ranked Wilson 21st overall among 66 NFL starting signal-callers in 2023.
"Well, this sure got complicated quickly," Shook wrote last week. "First things first: Wilson was better under Sean Payton than he was under Nathaniel Hackett. He improved enough to make Broncos fans believe their big-ticket acquisition was salvageable. But a late-season run of first-half struggles sapped Payton of patience, and with Wilson’s bloated contract playing an important role in Denver’s decision-making process, it abruptly benched him for Jarrett Stidham, feeding the media populous suggestions it was football-related more than anything. That’s not entirely off-base; Wilson wasn’t playing at a level that granted him immunity from being benched. But this was certainly about the money, too. It will be interesting to see if Denver has concluded he’s not worth the money it handed him after acquiring him via trade, or if it’ll give him another go under an adjusted contract. Either way, we know two truths about Wilson: He’s not the star he once was, but he can still sling it on occasion."
Of course, there was a time when Wilson resided in the very upper echelons of such lists, but his sheer unsuitability for what Broncos head coach Sean Payton was — and is — trying to do has only made his recent decline look far more stark and chaotic.
Wilson popping up at the 21st spot on Shook's rundown is possibly still being a little bit kind. Indeed, maybe that has more to do with the murmuring notion that his own coach is hamstringing him.
Truth is, taking off and throwing on the run is now producing ever-diminishing results for the aging Wilson, especially when he found himself chained within the confines of Payton's primarily precision-type offense.
Once Payton finally made the bullish decision to bench Wilson with two weeks remaining in the failing 2023 campaign, it was former Las Vegas Raiders backup Jarrett Stidham who found himself abruptly inserted into the lineup.
In the final analysis, NFL.com didn't get too down on Stidham's distinctly average 1-1 record in relief of Wilson. That being said, the rather generous 38th position on the list still puts the 27-year-old firmly in the backup quarterback bracket.
"Stiddy's first outing of the season, against the Chargers in Week 17, was a bit misleading, at least by the numbers," Shook wrote. "He finished with 224 passing yards and a touchdown, but 54 of those yards were the product of Lil'Jordan Humphrey pulling off a superhuman catch-and-run for a score. Stidham displayed some very visible rust after sitting in the background for most of 2023, but he did start to settle in just as the season reached its end. I'm feeling certain he won't be the guy in 2024, but then again, I can't confidently predict what Sean Payton and Co. will do under center. I do know they should feel OK with Stidham being an option at minimum entering the new year."
Money issues will put the Broncos hard up against the salary cap for the next two seasons at the very least. Irrespective of the financial pinch they now find themselves mired in, don't bet against Payton explosively pulling the plug on Wilson's underwhelming tenure in the Mile High City.
NFL Media is certainly covering all of their bases by not completely ruling out the improbable return of Wilson to Denver. That's understandable, particularly because the Broncos publicly extended an olive branch to their dethroned field general some weeks ago.
Then again, Wilson is also hedging his bets rather significantly, just like any of the well-seasoned contemporaries who went before him. Further evidence of just that was provided when Wilson put his exclusive $25 million mansion in the exclusive Cherry Hills area of the city up for sale this past week.
As the fateful decision on his future looms ever closer into view, we can count on one sure-fire conclusion: the plot will only thicken.
Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
