Broncos lineman snaps back at Russell Wilson critics, makes bold statement

2022 turned into the worst case scenario for the Denver Broncos after adding former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson.

The team finished with a 5-12 record that saw them finish bottom in the AFC West for the third consecutive year in a season where they were expected to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for the division title during the preseason.

Wilson has garnered much of the criticism for how Denver’s season went despite massive mid-season turnover on the coaching staff. Broncos offensive lineman Garett Bolles came to his QB1’s aid, saying that Wilson works too hard to get such a bad wrap.

“He’s a great dude, he’s the same guy every single day, he works his butt off,” Bolles said, via ESPN. “And I’m ready for that stuff to go away and when it goes, everyone’s going to eat crow.”

Wilson arrived in Denver last offseason via trade following a 10-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. With nine Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl victory across that span, Broncos fans believed they’d become an automatic championship contender with his services.

It goes without saying that did not happen.

What followed was one of the worst seasons of Wilson’s career. He finished with new lows in both completion percentage (60.5 percent) and passing touchdowns (16). In 15 games, he threw 3,524 yards and finished the season with a 16-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

To make things worse, Denver lost eight one-score games over the course of the season including three in overtime. Even winning half of those would have put them in the conversation to make the playoffs. That ended up not being the case, and the Broncos lost 12 games in one season for the first time since 2010.

Still, Wilson signed a five-year contract extension worth $245 million just before the start of the 2022 season. That keeps him with the team through 2028, which could become an issue if his play doesn’t improve — but Bolles doesn’t buy it.

“I think he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks in the game the last 10 years,” Bolles said. “Stats don’t lie, just because you have one rough season in the last 10 years you can’t dictate what type of guy, his personality, or what he goes through. … He’s the same guy, he doesn’t change; he’s a leader.”

Bolles believes last season was a hiccup. In 2023, all Russell Wilson is worried about is winning, and the Broncos have taken all the steps necessary to help him to succeed in Denver. If not — it’s on Wilson now.