Payton Lays Out Expectations for Russell Wilson in Preseason Debut

On the precipice of their 2023 preseason opener, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton made clear what he hopes to see from quarterback Russell Wilson against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday night.

“Same thing I’m hoping to see from the rest of the starters," Payton explained Wednesday. "You want to get in there, and you want to see clean execution and timing. Most importantly for the quarterback is that you’re moving the ball and giving yourself a chance to score. I think that will be important for everyone, not just him.”

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Payton has already stated that Denver's first-stringers will play between 15-18 snaps in Arizona, a large enough sample size for the new-look offense and its $245 million leader, who enters the exhibition matchup with momentum on his side.

Following a slow start to training camp in which he was repeatedly intercepted, Wilson has strung together three consecutive impressive practices, completing highlight-reel passes to wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Marvin Mims.

Last Saturday's session saw Wilson hooking up with Jeudy for a 47-yard walk-off touchdown amid a two-minute drill. It was vintage Russ — moonball and all.

The first of many coming 🔜 pic.twitter.com/K2bU39cdjI
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) August 7, 2023

In Wednesday's case, Wilson was so efficient that he did not throw a single incompletion during team portions. He also beat All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II on multiple occasions, with Sutton the main beneficiary.

Afterward, Payton — an infamously tough and guarded coach — acknowledged that Wilson is beginning to stack good days.

"I’m just making sure we are progressing as a team," he said Wednesday. "Certainly today, Courtland had a fantastic practice. I said this before—there are always ebbs and flows to this training camp with defense and offense. Having success offensively is important because you gain that confidence you need, and it only comes from it actually happening. Overall, we’ve had a good week.”

Coming off the worst season of his career, Wilson will look to carry his hot hand into the Grand Canyon State. And, beyond that, into the fall, when the live bullets start flying for real.

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