In March 2022, the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos did business with each other that saw Russell Wilson go to the Broncos along with a fourth round pick. In exchange, the Seahawks received a combination of quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant along with a boat load of draft picks which included two first rounds, two second round rounds and one fifth round. The Broncos believed so much in the talent of Wilson that they went to great lengths to acquire him from the Seahawks. As it stands, once the 2023 NFL season gets underway, Wilson will be in his second year as a Bronco.
Russell Wilson in Seattle
The Seattle Seahawks are responsible for bringing Wilson to the NFL. In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seahawks gambled on Wilson despite many teams letting him pass mostly because of his height. When the team put him in as their starting quarterback in his rookie season, many were startled by this decision considering that the Seahawks had just recently signed Matt Flynn as a free agent. In his rookie year, Wilson put the team on his back and led them to the playoffs with an 11-5 record. Wilson had emerged as a dual-threat quarterback from his first season itself, and put up numbers such as over 3,000 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns to go along with 489 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. The team narrowly lost in the Division round to the Atlanta Falcons on a last gasp field goal.
2013 was only Wilson’s second year in the league but one year was more than enough for him to lead his team to the Super Bowl that year. Super Bowl XLVIII was a huge blowout as the Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos 43-8 en route to their first ever title in franchise history. Post 2013, Wilson again led the Seahawks to another Super Bowl appearance, but this time came up short against the New England Patriots.
From 2015 to 2021, Wilson continued to have super success with the team even though he didn’t find himself in the Championship game again. His play was still good and he earned multiple Pro Bowl selections and the team was a regular postseason presence, missing out only twice in that period. 2021 was the worst season for Wilson as a Seahawk as he went 6-8 in 14 games as a starter. Before the start of the 2022 season, Wilson’s relationship with the franchise’s management soured to the extent that he wanted to be traded.
Russell Wilson in Denver
In 2022, Russell Wilson found himself being traded to the Denver Broncos. This move was being looked at as a good one for both Wilson and the Broncos and the team was expected to become strong contenders in the AFC West. Many experts and analysts had predicted the Broncos to finish either top of their division or a close second. Sadly, this was not the case as the Broncos managed only five wins and Russell went 4-11 in his 15 games as a starter. This is the worst record of Wilson’s entire NFL career.
As it stands, Wilson has finished his first year in Denver and should by now have a clearer idea about the team as a whole. There is a good chance that the Broncos can improve their record and maybe even sneak into the playoffs this year. If Russell fails to deliver on that this year too, then the alarm bells should start ringing at Mile High.