With Russell Wilson, Nathaniel Hackett is doing what Seattle wouldn’t

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos’ offense is Russell Wilson’s Superhero Movie. It’s all about him.

And if that wasn’t abundantly clear already, coach Nathaniel Hackett underscored that after the Broncos concluded their first Phase 3 session of OTAs.

Asked about what he wants to see from Wilson as he integrates himself into the offense, Hackett quickly noted Wilson’s “command of the system.” Then, Hackett offered a reminder of how the quarterback’s strengths drive the scheme’s creation.

“We want to build this thing completely around him and make sure that he’s comfortable and watch him come alive,” Hackett said. “I think he did some awesome things [Monday] utilizing his athleticism, and at the same time, being just a pure drop-back passer.”

Effectively melding athleticism with work in the pocket has been Wilson’s strength dating back to his college days. When he was at the Senior Bowl 10 years ago, he made it clear that he wanted to flourish with his arm first. Then, if needed, he would use his legs to his advantage.

But in spite of his effectiveness with the Seahawks, he still worked in an organizational environment that emphasized winning in an old-school way: with the running game.

During six of Wilson’s 10 seasons, the Seahawks were in the NFL’s top six in run percentage. And over the course of Wilson’s time there, the Seahawks ran on 46.4 percent of their snaps. Only the Baltimore Ravens ran more often.

Meanwhile, a team like the Green Bay Packers — which had Aaron Rodgers at its disposal for the last decade — ranked 23rd in run percentage over the past 10 years. During Hackett’s three seasons with the Packers from 2019-21, they ranked 16th, 7th and 15th, respectively, in run percentage.

Hackett was clearly taken with his quarterback’s passing work Monday. That included a slew of touchdowns in red-zone work to an array of targets, including rookies Greg Dulcich and Montrell Washington.

“[When] he throws the ball, it’s beautiful. He’s what we call a natural thrower,” Hackett said. “The guy just can spin it. The, watching him today make some of the plays he did with his feet and dodging and moving, it was like me when I was in flag football back when I was younger.”

For good reason, Hackett and the Broncos are giving Wilson exactly what he wants. It’s what you should do when you have a nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback still in the prime of his career.

“He’s doing great,” said Hackett,” and we’re excited to see him just keep owning that system.”

It’s a system built for Wilson. Now, it’s up to him to maximize it and be the passing superhero the Broncos haven’t had since Peyton Manning closed his career by saying, “God bless football.”

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