(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
When the Denver Broncos hired Sean Payton to be their head coach following a disastrous 2022 season, there was optimism that he could turn things around.
But with the start of the regular season just days away now, reality is starting to set in, and fans’ expectations seem to be tempered a bit.
Russell Wilson played terribly, at least by his standards, last year in his maiden voyage with the Broncos, and the million-dollar question is whether he will regain at least some of his old form or if he is indeed in permanent decline at age 34.
FS1 personality Nick Wright says that Payton wasn’t brought in to fix Wilson, and he hinted that he feels Wilson is indeed in decline, via “The Herd.”
“Sean Payton was not hired to fix Russell Wilson. He was hired to fix the Denver Broncos.”
— @getnickwright talks expectations for Broncos pic.twitter.com/RNjIIS8bAN
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 29, 2023
Wright pointed out the fact that the once-durable Wilson has missed some games due to injury the last two seasons and that his production on the ground has fallen sharply during that time.
In fact, Wright suggested that perhaps the future Hall of Famer won’t even get through the 2023 season as the starter for Denver.
But Wilson possibly being past or near his expiration date is only one problem for his team.
They will have to deal with wide receiver Tim Patrick being out for the season with a torn Achilles after he missed all of 2022 with a torn ACL.
To make matters worse, wideout Jerry Jeudy, who led the Broncos in receiving yards and touchdowns last season, is down with a hamstring injury, and it is unknown exactly when he’ll be able to return to action.
Denver won just five games in 2022, giving them one of the worst records in the NFL, and they had one of the worst offenses anyone could ever remember seeing.
Head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who had previously been an excellent offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers, was fired late in the season, and in the last game or two of the year, Wilson showed some improvement.
But he will need to show improvement on a consistent basis this year for Denver to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 campaign.
The post Nick Wright Discusses Sean Payton, Broncos Expectations This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.