The Denver Broncos are taking an expensive gamble that Sean Payton can fix whatever troubled quarterback Russell Wilson during the 2022 season. There is at least one Broncos legend, Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis, who thinks he can.
Davis told TMZ Sports that he is all-in on Payton and believes he has the ability to get Wilson back on track.
“I’ve already seen what he can do with quarterbacks, which leads me to be very positive in what he can do with Russell Wilson,” Davis said of Payton.
That was a very obvious shot at former head coach Nathaniel Hackett who did not even make it through his first season as the Broncos head coach. It was clear from the beginning that Hackett was in over his head and was not going to be able to do anything for Wilson or the Broncos offense.
“He’s not washed. He’s not broken,” Davis said of Wilson. “But obviously, when you have a surrounding support system that doesn’t support what you do well, it will expose your flaws.”
Now the Broncos are hoping that Payton can do what Hackett couldn’t.
On one hand, Payton’s track record as an offensive coach is one of the best in the NFL. But the Broncos have spent so many draft picks and player assets to acquire Wilson and Payton that it has severely depleted their draft-pick stockpile, while Wilson’s contract has eaten up a ton of salary-cap space. That is going to give Payton an incredibly difficult job when it comes to making the team competitive again.
Denver had one of the league’s best defenses a year ago, but its offense was among the worst.
The Broncos have not made the playoffs since the 2015 season (seven consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance) and have not had a winning record since the 2016 season.
