Broncos' trade for Russell Wilson could be shaping up to be a bust

It has only been five weeks within a new system, on a new team, and with a new head coach, so you do not want to overreact or jump to too many outrageous conclusions. But Denver Broncos fans have to be having some doubts as to whether or not the trade for quarterback Russell Wilson is going to pan out as they hoped. 

Following Thursday's ugly 12-9 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Broncos find themselves with a 2-3 record, one of the absolute worst offenses in the league, and Wilson has looked like a shell of his former self with a growing list of injury concerns. 

Given how much the Broncos gave up to acquire him from the Seattle Seahawks (Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant, two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks, and a fifth-round draft pick) and the enormous contract they signed him to five-year, $242 million contract with over $160 million in guarantees. 

All of that brings high expectations. And not just high expectations, but Super Bowl expectations. That is not a trade you make to just become competitive or sneak into the playoffs. It is a trade you make to win a Super Bowl. 

But after five games the Broncos seem light years behind the rest of the competition in the AFC, and with Wilson having health questions there has to be a concern. Especially when there were signs that Wilson was already starting to slow down toward the tail end of his Seattle tenure. 

Just before the start of the 2022 season, there was a report from ESPN that cited several sources within the Seahawks organization that Wilson was a declining player with declining mobility. Through five games, that is exactly what he looks like so far, and then over the weekend he reportedly received an injection to relieve discomfort in his throwing shoulder. 

On the Seattle side, things are looking a lot more promising. Even if the players involved in the trade (Lock, Harris, Fant) are not making a huge impact just yet, they also had two of the top-40 picks in the 2022 draft, both of which are contributing (No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross; No. 40 overall pick Boye Mafe), and also own Denver's top-two picks next year. 

The offense is also looking significantly better with Geno Smith -- so far -- rejuvenating his career. 

Even if Smith does not maintain that level of play, the foundation is there for this to be a franchise-changing trade for Seattle. Especially if Denver does not bounce back and ends up sending more picks in the top half of the draft to Seattle. 

It is too soon to consider this one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, but if the Seahawks hit on those picks and Fant reaches his potential, combined with Wilson continuing his recent downward trajectory. It might end up on a list with the Herschel Walker trade, the Eric Dickerson trade, the Marshall Faulk trade, or even the Ricky Williams trade.