There is a lot of pressure on Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson heading into the 2023 season. He was acquired last year from the Seattle Seahawks, expected to be the final piece for the team to become Super Bowl contenders. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan.
Wilson ended up having the worst statistical season of his career and the Broncos were a mess, especially offensively. They went 5-12 during the 2022 season, which resulted in head coach Nathaniel Hackett getting fired after one season on the job.
This offseason the franchise made another splash, acquiring head coach Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints to man the sidelines. Payton is renowned for his work offensively and the Broncos are hoping his presence will help get Wilson back on track.
This offseason, a lot of people have expressed confidence in their starting quarterback finding his groove in 2023. The player who most recently expressed confidence in a Wilson bounceback was wide receiver, Jerry Jeudy.
“Just his mentality,” Jeudy said while hosting a youth football camp about why he still believes in Wilson, per Ben Swanson of the Broncos’ website. “Russ is a soldier. So just the way he handles his business, the way he handles situations, I just know the type of guy he is and the stuff that he can overcome. In the situations like that, that don’t put no fear into a man’s heart. And I know that this year, he got a big year coming ahead.”
Injuries could have played a part in Wilson’s struggles last season, as he dealt with a hamstring ailment and concussion. There was certainly something that led to Wilson’s drop in production as it would be hard to believe that Father Time hit him so hard out of the blue.
Jeudy is a big component in the former Super Bowl winner getting things back on track. Despite the anemic performance of the offense, Jeudy had the best season of his career, catching 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns. The former first-round pick is in line for a huge breakout in Year 4 if Wilson can regain the form he showed with the Seahawks.
“The biggest thing, really, for me is just consistency,” Jeudy explained. “I know what I’m capable of doing, and I’m capable of playing at a high level. It showed the last six games (562 yards from scrimmage and three scores), and the only thing, for now, is just bringing them last six games into the new year and just starting off strong and staying consistent.”
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