Plan the parade; Russell Wilson will lead Denver back to multiple Super Bowls

The energy in the office was through the roof.

My two-week anniversary at 104.3 The Fan is a day I’ll never forget. Yep, just two short weeks on the job, and the Broncos made their biggest move in a decade.

Russell freaking Wilson. Let’s goooooooo!

With the staff still depressed the attention-seeking Aaron Rodgers would be returning to Green Bay, everything changed with one tweet.

Executive Producer Richie Carni started hollering as Adam Schefter broke the news heard around Broncos Country: Russell Wilson’s going to be the next Hall of Fame QB in Denver.

Is this real life?

Since the day Peyton Manning retired more than six years ago the Broncos have been searching for his replacement and failed time and time again. Trevor Siemian wasn’t the answer, and neither was Paxton Lynch. Case Keenum didn’t work out and Joe Flacco sure as heck didn’t, either. Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater were nice guys, but neither was leading Denver to the promise land.

Finally, more than 2,000 days after Manning called it a career, the Broncos found their solution at quarterback.

March 8, 2022 will always be one of the most significant days in team history. And when Wilson leads the Broncos back to multiple Super Bowls, just like Manning, you’ll remember where you were when you heard the news.

Wilson’s made nine Pro Bowls in his 10-year career. He has a regular season record of 104-53-1. His postseason resume includes a 9-7 record, two Super Bowl appearances and of course a Lombardi Trophy by throttling the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. It’s truly surreal GM George Paton was able to land Wilson for a net of four draft picks, Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris.

Lock had his chances and wasn’t going to be the guy. Fant was an underachieving first-round pick who couldn’t break a tackle. Harris, by far the biggest loss, was great at batting down footballs but not a dominant pass-rusher.

As far as the picks, it’s remarkable Paton only had to give up two first-rounders and not three or four. The two second-rounders aren’t that big of a deal and the swap of a fifth-rounder for a fourth-rounder is negligible.

As Adam Schefter reported with Stokley and Zach on Tuesday afternoon, Wilson should be the Broncos’ QB for at least the next six years. It’s a no-brainer move for Paton and he borderline fleeced the Seahawks.

At just 33-years old, Wilson still has plenty left in the tank. And he will undoubtedly compete for championships with the Broncos. The team is loaded at wide receiver with Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy all under contract for multiple seasons. Javonte Williams looks poised to become a top-10 running back in the NFL for years to come. And, oh yeah, this defense remains scary led by Pat Surtain II and Justin Simmons.

Throw in the fact Von Miller might want to come back and there are very few holes on this team. Tight end will need to be addressed with the departure of Fant, but the Broncos are leaps and bounds better with Wilson than they would have been with Lock or a rookie under center.

Wilson clearly needed a change of scenery and had to waive his no-trade clause for the deal go down. He might be as excited to be in Colorado as Broncos Country is about him. With plenty of juice left in the tank, it’s fair to expect Wilson to throw Denver at least one championship parade during his tenure here.

Tuesday was one of the best days in a long, long time. Russell Wilson has reinvigorated Broncos Country.
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