4 Historical Precedents Hint at Russell Wilson Leading Broncos to Success

History often repeats itself. That's good news for the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos have a history of success in acquiring good quarterbacks late in their careers from other teams. The most recent acquisition, Russell Wilson, will prove to be another boon that is coming at the optimal time.

There isn’t a Broncos fan alive who doesn’t know the Peyton Manning story. It was one of the most important events in the team’s history. However, many fans don’t know that there have been other veteran quarterbacks who've turned around the Mile High City's fortunes.

Join me for a trip down memory lane.

Charley Johnson | 1972

The Broncos were a struggling franchise without a winning season for the first 13 years of their existence. Then Johnson arrived in 1972, a quarterback who had a solid and lengthy career with St. Louis and Houston.

Johnson was one of only a handful of quarterbacks to throw for multiple 3,000-yard seasons to that point in history. But his career was winding down when he came to Denver.

In 1973, the Broncos had their first winning season with Johnson at the helm. It was followed by another in 1974. This may not seem like a significant event, but it was the turning point for the team as it kickstarted what was to come for the franchise.

Craig Morton | 1977

The next big-name quarterback to arrive was Craig Morton, a longtime starter for the Dallas Cowboys. Even though the Broncos had found a way to produce winning seasons, they just couldn't get over the hump and into the playoffs.

Morton helped change Denver's fortunes, helping to guide them to a Super Bowl and three straight playoff appearances.

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Jake Plummer | 2003

Then there's Jake Plummer. He was not a great quarterback, but under Mike Shanahan, Plummer had the best seasons of his career. He also turned around the Broncos' fortunes.

The team could not find its winning ways of the past with Brian Griese under center. Griese performed admirably and had one terrific season in 2000, but the Broncos struggled for most of his time in the win-loss column.

Denver got to the playoffs once under Griese, but was bounced immediately. Enter Plummer, a vet who had played his career with the Arizona Cardinals. Plummer guided the Broncos to the playoffs in each of his full three seasons as the starting quarterback, punctuated by an AFC Championship Game appearance (a loss to Pittsburgh).

These four major veteran QB acquisitions changed the Broncos' path and brought success when it was needed most. Furthermore, these quarterbacks all had era-adjusted seasons in the top-15 for Broncos quarterbacks, meaning they were all good at their jobs.

To dig in a little further, the Broncos were poised for success in each of these instances but the quarterback was the one key missing ingredient.

When Johnson arrived, the Broncos had already built a promising roster. Greats like Floyd Little, Bill Thompson, Lyle Alzado, and Paul Smith were already on the team.

The Broncos drafted Riley Odoms and acquired Haven Moses midseason. Then in 1973, Tom Jackson, Barney Chavous, Paul Howard, and Otis Armstrong were drafted to help fill out a solid roster. This got Denver over the losing and onto the next step.

When Morton was acquired, the Broncos had all the pieces of the legendary 'Orange Crush' defense together. The offense still had Armstrong, Moses, Odoms and had added Jon Keyworth.

One of the best returners in NFL history, Rick Upchurch, was already on the team too. A Super Bowl-caliber defense and a solid overall roster were paired with a very good veteran quarterback, and the team reached Super Bowl XII.

Plummer may have been the worst of the four acquired quarterbacks we are talking about, but the roster was not. Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, Tom Nalen, Trevor Pryce, and Al Wilson were on the team prior to his arrival.

Then in an absolute fleecing of Washington in 2004, Shanahan acquired future Hall-of-Fame cornerback Champ Bailey in trade. The Broncos also brought in John Lynch through free agency and drafted D.J. Williams. Denver, again, added the few necessary pieces and the quarterback to get the franchise back to its winning ways.

Peyton Manning | 2012

Finally, the Manning story. Obviously, the Hall-of-Famer was the tide that raised all boats, but the Broncos were poised for success when he arrived.

I mean, Tim Tebow got Denver into the playoffs the year prior to Manning's arrival. That should tell you something about the roster of the team. The nucleus of the offense was already together when Manning first stepped foot at Mile High.

Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas, Ryan Clady, and Orlando Franklin were with the club. The defensive unit was beginning to fill out, too, with Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey, and Chris Harris, Jr. already on the roster. Then in 2012, the Broncos added Derek Wolfe via the draft.

Manning led the Broncos to a division title in each of his four seasons with the club, two Super Bowl berths, and a World Championship. Plus, he brought all kinds of media attention and orchestrated the most prolific offense in the history of the NFL, winning his league-record fifth MVP award along the way.

Russell Wilson | 2022

Last season, the Broncos' roster was a quarterback away, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a capable signal-caller on the roster. The defense lost Miller, a future Hall-of-Famer, but it still has Justin Simmons, Patrick Surtain II, Dre’Mont Jones, and Bradley Chubb.

Denver's offense is still loaded with weapons. Courtland Sutton, Jerry Judy, Tim Patrick, and Javonte Williams are skill-position dreams and the offensive line is going to be much better than last season. GM George Paton has added some key players to the defensive line, offensive line, and edge rusher through free agency, and based on his first draft haul, he'll add other key members this spring.

History favors the coming Wilson era in Denver. We're not talking about Joe Flacco circa 2019. Wilson is still just 33 years old, has led his team to eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons, winning Super Bowl XLVIII, and is a nine-time Pro Bowler. The man has momentum.

The Broncos are poised for a playoff run in 2022. With Wilson in the fold, the future looks very bright.

Follow Thomas on Twitter @ThomasHallNFL.

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