Summary

The Denver Broncos' acquisition of Russell Wilson via trade is seen as a significant upgrade at the quarterback position, potentially improving their postseason prospects, but the team's success in a competitive AFC West division is uncertain due to Wilson's age, decreasing production, and the presence of other elite quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

Abstract

The Denver Broncos have made a bold move by trading for quarterback Russell Wilson, who is considered an upgrade over their previous quarterbacks since the retirement of Peyton Manning. The trade, which included multiple draft picks and players, aims to bolster the team's chances of contending in the AFC West. However, Wilson, at 33, is past his prime and faces challenges from younger, statistically impressive quarterbacks in the division, such as Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers. Additionally, the Broncos' division rivals, including the Las Vegas Raiders, have also shown strength, making the path to division dominance uncertain for Denver. While Wilson's star power is expected to elevate the Broncos' win column, expectations are tempered by the reality of his aging and the competitive landscape of the division.

Opinions

Russell Wilson is viewed as the best quarterback for the Broncos since Peyton Manning, potentially revitalizing the team's postseason aspirations.
The trade is considered a boost for the Broncos' future, despite the tough competition within the AFC West, particularly from the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
Patrick Mahomes' exceptional performance and career trajectory pose a significant obstacle to Wilson's success in the division.
Justin Herbert's emergence as a top quarterback in the league adds to the challenges Wilson will face in the AFC West.
Wilson's age and recent decline in rushing yards and overall production raise concerns about his ability to lead the Broncos to the top of the division.
The Broncos are seen as having given up too much in the trade, including promising young players and valuable draft picks, for an aging quarterback.
The Seattle Seahawks are perceived to have benefited more from the trade, acquiring a package of young talent and draft capital.
The Broncos' strategy is compared to their 2015–2016 Super Bowl-winning season, where they also acquired a veteran quarterback, but there is skepticism about whether Wilson can replicate that level of success.
The trade is acknowledged as a good short-term move for the Broncos, but the long-term impact and Wilson's ability to overcome the division's talent remain to be seen.

Do The Denver Broncos Automatically Contend With Russell Wilson?

The Russell Wilson Trade May Boost the Team’s Postseason Hopes

Photo from Pixabay, free to use, generic football player picture

The Broncos have agreed to trade quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick to the Seahawks for Wilson and a fourth-round pick, sources said. ESPN Adam Scheffter

Exciting Future for Denver

I’m not going to lie. When I heard about this trade today, I got really excited for Denver’s future. Russell Wilson is arguably the best quarterback the Broncos have had since Peyton Manning retired after the Broncos’ Super Bowl L win in Santa Clara in 2016.

Mighty Contender Roadblocks

They haven’t even been the second-best team in the AFC West since. It’s really been the Kansas City Chiefs’ division to lose. Then the Los Angeles Chargers as of late have emerged as one of the premier teams in the division with Justin Herbert at quarterback. Even the Las Vegas Raiders seemed to have it figured out this year when they snuck into the postseason after surprising late success despite a coaching change and some controversy.

Upgrade At Quarterback

This means that despite Russell Wilson’s star power and the obvious upgrade at quarterback from Teddy Bridgewater, he’ll still have to play these other three teams two times a year. The most obvious obstacle in his way to division greatness is Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is already establishing himself to be on track for one of the greatest statistical quarterback careers of all time. Mahomes has currently been in the NFL for 5 years and has played in 4 full seasons as a starter. He’s already the top-yard producing quarterback of all-time per game at 301.4 yards. He’s done more than enough to make up for a suspect Chiefs secondary at times. The Chiefs have won six straight division titles, including all four full seasons with Mahomes at quarterback. Even at this point with an MVP and a Super Bowl title under his belt, he’s already established at this pace for a Hall of Fame career.

The Emergence of Los Angeles

They also have an emerging young quarterback in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert just completed his second year in the NFL and he’s looking very good statistically. He’s already got the most yards in the first two seasons for a quarterback in NFL history at 9,350. This last season, he set the franchise record for touchdowns, passing yards, and completions. He’s another big obstacle in the way of Russell Wilson making a name for himself in the AFC West.

Aging Star

Another big negative in this trade for the Broncos is the age of Russell Wilson. He is 33 years old. He’ll be 34 when the next season is played. He’s not the young superstar making big plays anymore. He’s always been a quarterback who was known as a dual-threat passer and rusher. Last season, he set a career-low for rushing yards. He did miss three games with an injury this year but he just didn’t look right all year long.

Decreasing Production

His passing numbers were down overall and his team finished 7–10, including 1–2 without him. He’ll certainly have a better defense even without Von Miller, who went to the Los Angeles Rams in the midseason last year so that might help him as his offensive production decreases.

He’s past his prime but is still a good quarterback who can lead a team to victory when need be. It’s just that because of those previous reasons I described and his advanced age, there is no guarantee that he will get the Broncos over either the Chargers, Chiefs, or even the Raiders.

Star Power Past His Prime

The Broncos also finished 7–10 last season like the Seahawks. They should do better with Russell Wilson than Teddy Bridgewater did at quarterback. I predict they can win two or three more games with Russell Wilson at quarterback in 2022.

Just don’t expect to see prime Russell Wilson who made it to two consecutive Super Bowls and won one and nearly both had they run it from the 1-yard line. He’s still a star quarterback. He’s just not going to be able to compete in a division loaded with talent at the quarterback position.

No Longer The Best in His Division

He’s going to be the third-best quarterback, just ahead of Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders, in what will now be the best division in the NFL for at least the next five years. The AFC is emerging as the more competitive division these days. Had he gone to a team like Chicago or Tampa Bay, he would’ve had an easier time winning another division title.

Denver Gave Up A Lot

I also think that Denver gave up way too much to acquire his talent. Young players like Noah Fant, who will emerge as a star at tight end, and Shelby Harris, who had six sacks for the Broncos last year, will be going to a Seahawks team who is currently in a rebuilding mode.

The trade certainly worked out better for the Seahawks just looking at the exchange. They are getting multiple early-round picks mixed with young talent and the Broncos are getting an aging, not-so-mobile quarterback who is still a star and a fourth-round pick yet to be determined.

Big Gamble Looking for A Big Payoff

I think the Denver Broncos were trying to replicate the success from their 2015–2016 season in which they won a Super Bowl with a quarterback they essentially got to loan for a couple of years. Wilson will probably have a longer tenure with the Broncos but it’s hard not to make those superstar comparisons with both quarterbacks being future Hall of Fame locks.

Let’s See What 2022 Has to Bring

This was a definite good short-term move for the Broncos as it moves them up from the cellar of the AFC West but we have yet to see if Russell Wilson has what it takes to get them over the competition in what will be the toughest division in football next year.