The Denver Broncos certainly didn’t envision a 5-12 overall record and last-place finish in the vaunted AFC West when they traded for franchise quarterback Russell Wilson ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
But that’s exactly what happened. And only time will tell if the Broncos righted the ship by firing then-coach Nathaniel Hackett this offseason and replacing him with former Super Bowl champion Sean Payton. A big part of the equation will be if Wilson can return to his championship form.
Mark Schlereth, an NFL commentator and Broncos legend, made it clear during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that he thinks Wilson needs to change the way he goes about things.
"Russell Wilson needs to be real this season"@markschlereth #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nV1wO1QJ4J
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 30, 2023
“I’ve never seen a dude get clowned like he got clowned across the league last year with the ‘Let’s ride,’ team planes, everything else. He got clowned by everybody,” Schlereth said.
“I’ve never seen that happen. Like, that is a breaking of the ranks, right? And I’ve never seen anything like that happen. So the overall, just the overall, tone-deafness that he operates under on a consistent basis. If you don’t change that, man, it’s hard to get the respect of the guys that you play with and play against.”
Wilson has yet to comment on Schlereth’s diatribe. But it’s clear that a repeat of last year’s performance will be unacceptable to everyone involved.
