NFL Exec: Broncos Unattractive Because Russell Wilson is 'Washed'
Amid the Denver Broncos' search for a new head coach, many have wondered how the candidates vying for the job view quarterback Russell Wilson. One year removed from the blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks — which cost the Broncos a pair of first and second-round draft picks, plus more — Wilson's profile has been tarnished.
I could rehash the botched 2022 campaign and all the reasons why Wilson's star has diminished, but everyone knows that it has. The question is, how much has the nine-time Pro Bowler regressed? And is he beyond 'fixing?'
We know how the Broncos feel about that, as GM George Paton professed a belief after firing head coach Nathaniel Hackett that Wilson is "fixable." But what else would Paton say?
Taking the Wilson temperature around the NFL, The Athletic's Mike Sando talked to a league executive who was quite bearish on the QB's outlook and how he might be viewed by top head-coaching candidates.
“Denver has the best tradition, and the new owners seem aggressive and willing to spend, but I think Wilson is washed, and the lack of draft capital is holding them back. The defense is very good, but Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert aren’t going anywhere in that division.”
Ouch.
The opinion that Wilson is "washed" is a fair one. It's entirely possible that he is. I have my doubts, however.
If Wilson's colossal step backward in 2022 as a Bronco didn't correspond to one of the most incompetent head coaches of all time being fired before his first season was even in the books, I might be more inclined to lean into such absolutes. But we know Hackett was an egregiously bad hire and that Wilson did not receive competent coaching in Year 1 as a Bronco.
It's obvious that Wilson's twitchiness and footspeed are diminished. But I wouldn't say that those two traits have completely evaporated — far from it.
The last two games of the season showcased that Wilson can be a very effective NFL quarterback — even if no longer elite — under base-level coaching competence. Add in a transcendent offensive mind, like, say, a Sean Payton, and we don't yet know the limits of what Wilson's ceiling might be.
Wilson did attract a lot of scrutiny, but almost all of the "drama" that Sando writes of in this piece was created by the media. In many respects, Wilson became unfairly maligned by the media. But he made himself an easy target in two ways:
- Wilson failed to provide a level of play commensurate with Denver's investment and...
- His tired 'Broncos Country, let's ride' catch-phrase, which he stubbornly clung to as the season torpedoed, and his overall cringiness (Subway ads, social media posts).
I wrote up a more in-depth defense of why Wilson is an asset in Denver's recruitment of top head-coaching candidates, not a liability, when reports surfaced of him reaching out to Payton last week. I won't recapitulate that here.
And as much as I don't agree that Wilson is completely "washed," I won't deny that the bloom is off the rose as a result of 2022. Thus, I can't completely discount the possibility of that impacting the Broncos' hiring pursuits.
Honestly, the prospect of competing against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers twice per year — to say nothing of the Las Vegas Raiders, who've won six straight over the Broncos — is likely the biggest disincentive to taking the job in Denver. That and the "lack of draft capital" the nameless exec spoke to.
That's only exacerbated by the prospect of hiring Payton because the Broncos would have to give up multiple premium draft picks to the New Orleans Saints to acquire his rights. But if a guy like FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd is to believed, then a coach of Payton's caliber not only isn't fazed by competing in the AFC West, but would welcome it.
Plus, the number of blue-chippers the Broncos will be getting back off injured reserve in 2023 is like flooding the roster with a draft-and-a-half of first-round picks.
Reports of Payton accepting a second interview with the Broncos would suggest that he hasn't been scared off by the prospect of coaching Wilson. Although, the prospect of becoming possibly the highest-paid head coach in NFL history, courtesy of the Walton/Penner group, is quite the incentive to take that meeting.
Food for thought.
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