DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 26: Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks to pass during the second half of the game at Empower Field at Mile High on November 26, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Broncos beat the Cleveland Browns 29-12 during week 12 of the NFL season. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
On the occasion of his 35th birthday, let us celebrate Russell Wilson for embracing one of the hardest things for the male ego to do. The quarterback formerly known as Mr. Unlimited has accepted he isn’t as good as he once was.
“I feel great. I feel young. I feel fast. I feel confident,” Wilson said Wednesday, explaining why he’s not afraid of any edge rusher or Father Time catching him from behind.
At 35, Wilson almost certainly will never again be a candidate for MVP of the NFL. But neither should we expect him to suffer a midlife crisis, because Wilson has adopted a brave refusal to be entrapped by his ego.
After a horrendous 1-5 start, the Broncos have played themselves back into playoff contention, while Wilson has inserted himself into the conversation about Comeback Player of the Year, in no small measure because Russ has decided he would rather win than cook.
While it’s hard to argue Wilson is worth the five-year, $245 million contract extension that doesn’t kick in until next season, he’s making a strong case the Broncos should bring him back in 2024.
While his league-leading 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio should be cited as a strong data point, statistics can’t tell the story of how the humility in Wilson’s leadership has served teammates so well during the five-game winning streak the Broncos take into a showdown between playoff contenders in Houston.
The turnaround almost nobody in Broncos Country saw coming was born of the evangelical belief by the team’s quarterback that hasn’t been seen in these parts since Tim Tebow.
OK, anybody with eyes can see Wilson spins a football better than Tebow ever did. What made Tebow a winner was his heart, not his arm. “Give me some of whatever feeling he wakes up with every morning,” Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey told me at the height of Tebowmania. The magic Tebow and Wilson share is faith that adversity can be overcome by a stubborn refusal to surrender.
“When you have success, it normalizes for you. You understand that’s who we were destined to be, that’s who we are and that’s who we can be,” Wilson said.
“The best part … is everybody starts believing it and knowing it and seeing it and feeling it.”
When’s the last time you heard a former teammate bash Wilson? His sermons on positive thinking aren’t corny when you’re winning.
While Wilson insists his confidence never wavers, and constantly reminds us the highs in his 12-year NFL career have far outnumbered the low points, he deserves credit for the self-reflection required to recover from the disaster that was 2022, when he often looked washed up as the Broncos stumbled to a 5-12 record.
Wilson lost weight. He lost the entourage that followed him everywhere. While remaining a devoted family man, he lost the 24/7 obsession with being Ciara’s Instagram sweetheart.
Most of all, rather than feeling constrained by coach Sean Payton’s move to a more conservative, run-first offense, Wilson seemed liberated by having some of the burden of winning removed from his shoulders. His commitment to putting the team before his own statistics is the ultimate form of buy-in.
While the Buffalo Bills depend far too heavily on quarterback Josh Allen and the Los Angeles Chargers haven’t figured out how to transform the spectacular talent of Justin Herbert into consistent success, Wilson has refused to let his ego get in the way of playing complementary football.
These numbers don’t lie: His 199.9 passing yards per game are the lowest since Wilson’s rookie season. Although still capable of taking a dangerous shot down the field, Mr. Unlimited has accepted being Mr. Dink and Dunk. He takes off and runs or takes a sack rather than trying to throw the ball into too tight a window. It has resulted in Wilson’s 5.78 net yards per passing attempt being the worst of his career, but also greatly cut down costly interceptions.
While Wilson might not be a quarterback who can put a team on his shoulders for a Super Bowl run, he has already led four fourth-quarter comebacks. The next one this season would match his career high.
“I’ve got an obsession and passion for the game, learning the game, playing the game, being out there, and winning,” Wilson said.
The Broncos are back in playoff contention because Mr. Unlimited has embraced his limitations.
In a bottom-line business, the salary-cap implications aren’t what will keep Wilson wearing a Denver uniform in 2024 and beyond. So long as Wilson keeps on winning, why would the Broncos let him go?
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