Russell Wilson Talks About the Ugly Broncos Divorce After Silence
Russell Wilson is prepared to move on, but not before offering explanations for his unsuccessful time in Denver.
The exhilaration and unrestrained anticipation that surrounded the Denver Broncos’ trade acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson in March 2022 created a potent mixture for both fans and media.
In only two years, in 2024, Wilson will be paid by the Broncos to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos will foot the bill for the 35-year-old to start under center in Steel City after two forgettable seasons in Denver, paying Pittsburgh’s $1 million salary in 2024 in excess of $38 million.
Since then, Wilson has spoken out about his disastrous time with the Broncos, with the convenient justification of a lat injury from 2022 as to why things went so horribly wrong.
According to James Palmer of NFL Network, Wilson stated, “I think it’s all about how you look at it.” When things don’t go your way in life, you can often view them as either frustrating or as opportunities for personal growth. In my case, I had my lat my first year in Denver. I was pushing through it, experimenting with it. Was that the right thing for me to do? You are aware that you compete daily. What needs to be done needs to be done. Not everything went as planned. Earlier this year, I felt more like myself. I was excited to simply throw on the cleats and go after it because I felt like myself again.”
Looking back, Wilson’s first year in Denver was a head-scratcher out of the gates. The revelation that he played through a lat injury explains some of his struggles, but certainly not all.
Wilson also battled against a long-standing right knee issue, a recurring problem that required surgery to clean things up after his first season in Denver concluded. After healing up, the QB had no such injury cards to play during his patchwork 2023 season.
Ultimately, Wilson’s inconsistency eventually saw him benched by Broncos head coach Sean Payton with only two weeks remaining in the 2023 season. In an ironic twist, the fallout of Wilson refusing to waive his injury guarantees created an atmosphere that bubbled away internally for half the season and made it far easier to follow through with benching him.
As Wilson moves into the back nine of his NFL career, perhaps he should have listened more intensely to what his body was telling him. Already hamstrung by the incompetent coaching provided by failed Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Wilson stubbornly trying to persevere through the lat injury did his new team or himself no favors.
In the final analysis, Wilson won’t be able to redefine his disastrous two-year stay in the Mile High City with side issues surrounding his health. The Wilson circus did offer some comedic relief, including high-stepping his way down airplane aisles across the Atlantic Ocean and his doomed, cringey ‘Broncos Country, let’s ride’ catchphrase.
It didn’t move the needle for the team and only created further organizational chaos in Denver, leaving everyone involved with a lingering bad taste. Wilson’s redemption story, if there is to be a happy ending, will have to go beyond simply remaining fully fit and healthy.
It’s going to boil down to Wilson somehow repairing his tarnished reputation by producing on the field and winning football games.
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