Russell Wilson had a pretty bad maiden voyage with the Denver Broncos in 2022, and not coincidentally, the team won just five games and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year.
There is a tinge of optimism in the air as the Broncos have hired Sean Payton to be their new head coach, and they’re hoping he will bring some of the magic that often made his old team, the New Orleans Saints, one of the NFL’s best offensive squads.
Former NFL quarterback and current analyst Chris Simms is optimistic that Wilson will bounce back and have a strong year in 2023, and he feels Payton will help Wilson regain his old form.
.@CSimmsQB: “I’m not giving up on Russell Wilson… I expect a big bounce-back year from Russell.” 👀
Do you expect Russ to bounce back? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ia5FW4upVN
— KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (@KOAColorado) February 28, 2023
In 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson was one of the game’s better QBs, if not an elite one, with his dual-threat skills.
But this past season, he established career lows in completion rate (60.5 percent), passing touchdowns (16) and passer rating (84.4), while the Broncos had one of the worst offenses anyone could remember seeing.
It resulted in Nathaniel Hackett, their former head coach, being fired before the season even ended.
Injuries were one factor in Denver’s awful 2022 campaign, and it will need every one of its key players healthy and spry in order to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
In particular, wide receiver Tim Patrick, who suffered a torn ACL last August, and running back Javonte Williams, who tore his ACL early in the season, will need to bounce back strong the way Simms feels Wilson will bounce back.
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NFL Teams Are Reportedly Impressed With Sean Payton’s Staff