Three Broncos having underrated starts to 2023
By Jack Ramsey
3) Russell Wilson
It is important to consider perspective, here. Russell Wilson is coming off one of the worst seasons in NFL history, considering where he was as a player before the year, the accolades to his name, his Super Bowl ring, what it cost to get him, and then what it cost the Broncos to retain him.
His contract might be one of the worst in football, and the Broncos are suffering from not having any notable selections in the last two drafts. However, the 34-year-old has rebounded quite nicely from his disastrous 2022 season. A year after throwing less than a touchdown a game and double-digit interceptions, Wilson has 12 touchdowns in six games, only four interceptions, and had his QB rating at 99, which is just a tick below his career average of 100.1.
Wilson is completing passes at his highest mark since 2020, and most all of his individual stats have improved from 2022. Now, the obvious rebuttal there is that the bar is incredibly low if you are using 2022 stats, but some of his numbers would be his best marks in some time.
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With 11 games left, Russ is on pace for 34 touchdowns in total. 34 touchdowns would be his best mark since the 2020 season, in which Wilson threw for 40. His completion percentage would also be his best since the 2020 season, and assuming he does not get hurt, a full slate of 17 games would be his first full season since 2020 (his 2020 was pretty good). Wilson has far outplayed his expectations for 2023 and is far from the reason the Broncos are 1-5. Could he be better? Sure, every player can. But Wilson's success in 2023 has been a nice surprise for Sean Payton and Broncos fans.