Getty Image / Loren Elliott
During last year’s NFL offseason, one of the biggest stories in the league was Russell Wilson being traded.
After he was dealt to the Denver Broncos, expectations were high for the team even in a tough AFC West.
They didn’t end up even coming close to living up to those expectations.
The Broncos struggled as a team last season, winning just 5 games in spite of their big upgrade at quarterback. Those struggles were largely thanks to a disappointing first season for Wilson that saw him lead the NFL’s worst offense.
Now the pressure is on for him to improve in his 2nd year with the team, but Wilson claims he isn’t bothered by it.
While speaking to the media today, Wilson told reporters that he doesn’t feel pressure.
Russell Wilson says he doesn’t feel the pressure… if anything he runs towards it 👀 pic.twitter.com/zH1gF4IRe7
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) August 23, 2023
“Do I feel the pressure? No. I don’t run from it. I look forward to it. I run to it, if anything,” Wilson said. “We as a team, we’re all in this together. We’re all searching for one thing and that’s to get better every day. I’m not looking too far ahead. All the guys are trying to learn as much as we can from today’s practice and use that experience.”
Heading into the 2023 NFL season, there are very few players in the league that are under as much pressure as Russell Wilson.
The Broncos gave up a ton to get him and then quickly signed him to a hefty contract extension.
So far, neither of those decisions have looked like they are going to pay.
Now the Broncos have brought in a great offensive head coach in Sean Payton as they hope to see Wilson rebound this year.
If the team doesn’t at least make the playoffs this year, the Wilson trade will have to be seen as a failure for the Denver Broncos.
He has plenty of weapons around him and now has a much better head coach. There will be a whole lot of pressure on Russell Wilson to put in a strong season this year, whether he feels that pressure or not.