When the Denver Broncos take the field on Sunday against the New York Jets, Russell Wilson will not be their quarterback.
While Wilson deals with a hamstring injury, head coach Nathaniel Hackett has announced that he’s holding his starter out of the game in order to heal and Brett Rypien will get the start for Denver.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the big quarterback news.
While Russell Wilson wanted to play despite a hamstring injury and did everything he could to play, the Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett will hold back the 9-time Pro Bowl QB vs. the Jets to allow him to heal and prevent a lingering injury, per sources.
Brett Rypien gets the start. pic.twitter.com/UR11TisM8S
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2022
Wilson suffered the injury late in Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and spent the week as a limited participant in practice. That was on top of a partial muscle tear in his shoulder that he had been dealing with since the team’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Rypien has spent the last three years moving back and forth from the Broncos’ active roster and practice squad before earning the backup role this season. Coincidentally, the 26-year-old’s only previous NFL start was against the Jets in 2020. He threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-28 Denver victory.
Denver will evaluate Wilson’s progress after the game and decide whether or not he’ll play next weekend in London when the team travels to play the Jacksonville Jaguars.
