I don't think this can be said more plainly. There is absolutely no reason for the Denver Broncos to move on from QB Russell Wilson next offseason. If you want to bring up valid concerns with Wilson this year, then that's fair. Wilson has not been great at times, but what we've seen from the veteran QB this year is a total 180 from last year.
Wilson has the best TD:INT ratio in the entire NFL. Better than Mahomes. Better than Allen. Better than Tagovailoa. You get the point. Yes, there's been a lot more "dink and dunk" in the offense over the last few weeks, but I believe that's been done on purpose. After the team's 1-5 start, I think most of us were calling for a "tear it all down" rebuild, something that the team perhaps has needed for a while.
But all of a sudden, the Broncos are 5-5 and right back into the playoff hunt with winnable games left on their schedule. Moreover, Russell Wilson has remained hyper-efficient this year. He's tied for 3rd in the NFL in touchdown passes. He's got the 3rd-highest passer rating in the NFL, and his completion percentage ranks 7th in the league.
He's back producing elite numbers. He's not thrown for a ton of passing yards, but I think a big thing that Sean Payton coached Wilson on is taking what the defense gives him, "death by a thousand cuts," if you will. This also coincides with Payton's tendency to take the points more times than risking it on 4th down.
Anyway, Russell Wilson is on pace to throw for 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions this year. And if you're one who is advocating for Wilson to be cut this offseason, what is your plan to replace him? Would the Broncos really take a step back and start a bridge QB paired with a rookie? Would Payton abandon what he's building on offense with Wilson while also eating a ton of dead cap?
If Wilson was playing poorly, I'd see it. At this point, though, there's truly no reason to cut ties with the QB. Payton is proving that the team can win with and because of his QB. "DangeRuss" has orchestrated two straight game-winning drives in the 4th quarter in Weeks 10 and 11, sealing huge victories for the team. He's showing flashes of the Russ of old.
Denver is going to run this thing back in 2024 with Russell Wilson, some additional help along the defensive front, and another pass catcher or two. Sean Payton surely won't abandon this operation just yet.