We all know that Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson took a step backward in 2022 after many very good/great years with the Seattle Seahawks. He was sacked 55 times, which was the most of any year of his career. He threw the second-most interceptions of his career last year and the least number of touchdowns.
You would really have to take a dive into the film in order to determine which of the sacks were due to the offensive line breakdowns and which were completely on Wilson. You also have to factor in that maybe the coverage down the field was just too good and Wilson wasn’t comfortable throwing into coverage.
As players age, naturally, they become slower. Their mobility diminishes. They just aren’t the same player as they used to be—when they were 24, 25, 26 years old. Unless you’re some sort of genetic freak, it happens to everybody. I’m a strong believer that Wilson’s sudden drop-off was just a fluke. It’s hard for me to actually believe that the Broncos traded for a guy who just lost his talent.
I mean, you can look at the post-Hackett games. He looked much better in the two games with Hackett than the rest of the time with the Denver Broncos.
Well, now it appears that he should get some of his mobility back and slow down the decline of his mobility. At least that’s the hope.
In a photo uploaded to Twitter by Wilson, he hung with new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, his wife Ciara, Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter, and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.
New Broncos’ HC Sean Payton and QB Russell Wilson met up Thursday night for the first time since Payton took over as Denver’s coach. Payton and Wilson dined together - with Ciara, Joe Montana and Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter - at the Wheels Up Raos pop-up restaurant in Scottsdale,… https://t.co/moHzCxFZyx pic.twitter.com/RhNxoYwvFx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 10, 2023
We won’t know his official weight until training camp, but it appears that Wilson has slimmed down significantly. Here’s a better picture…
Date Night. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/8OtfZ3DXTO
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 10, 2023
Throughout his career, Russell Wilson had taken advantage of making plays with his legs. Last season, Wilson rushed the football 55 times for 277 yards and three touchdowns. While he never blew the roof off with his rushing, those totals are still not the most ideal especially based on what we saw late in the season.
I’m not expecting Wilson to exhaust himself by running. He’s in his mid-30s at this point and that’s just not realistic. But if nobody is open on a play and he has a rushing lane he can get through, his supposed weight loss should help him in a big way.
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If Russell Wilson’s mobility does improve, he will be able to run plays such as read options or designed quarterback runs if called upon. That would a lot of fun to see in 2023 as the Broncos look to make a massive jump.