Denver Broncos starting quarterback Russell Wilson has largely been very good this year, but he can be frustrating to watch. However, he gives the Broncos a massive advantage. If the Broncos make the playoffs this year, Wilson will play a huge part in that. He's playing well through the first 13 weeks of the 2023 NFL Season, and the Broncos' five remaining games come against pretty shaky defenses.
It's not outrageous to think that the offense can really get going in the coming weeks, and the Broncos just might need to go 10-7 to make the postseason. If you look across the NFL, one thing that is apparent this year is the drastic decline in quarterback play. I think only three passers are having a truly elite year.
Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, and Tua Tagovailoa are the three best QBs in football this year. Then there's a tier of passers who are having a decent year, but nothing too crazy. And then below that, you have a lot of yuck. Part of that yuck is also due to a plethora of starting quarterbacks out for the year. Many backup QBs have gotten game action, and the injured QB list seems to be growing.
All of the following passers are likely out for the entire season: Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Anthony Richardson, Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, and Aaron Rodgers. Six starters likely won't return this year. And then you have a slew of other passers like Justin Fields, Derek Carr, Matthew Stafford, Ryan Tannehill, and Kenny Pickett who have missed bits of time this year.
Have I missed anyone? I don't think so. Anyway, back to my original point. Russell Wilson gives the Denver Broncos a huge advantage because he's stayed healthy this year and has a reputation for always being healthy and on the field. Has Wilson even appeared on an injury report this year? In fact, the Broncos roster has been very healthy for the entire season.
Sure, guys like Caden Sterns, Jonas Griffith, and Tim Patrick are out for the year, but you're not really losing starting-caliber players with them. Sterns was starting this year, but PJ Locke III seems to have stepped into his role nicely and looks to be a starting safety in the NFL. Back to the health of Russell Wilson; the Broncos are 6-6 and in a huge playoff push with teams like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis. All three teams are or will be down to their backup QB this year.
At some point, that has to catch up with them, right? I think Russell Wilson being so available this year is a huge advantage for the Denver Broncos.