Russell Wilson passes concussion protocol but will not play against Cards

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson left last Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a concussion and now he’ll miss another week.

Wilson did clear concussion protocol on Friday and could’ve played this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals but the organization will sit their quarter-billion dollar quarterback out.

“Russell Wilson has passed the concussion protocol, with that being said as an organization, we’ve decided to give him another week to get ready and heal so he’s ready to go for the Los Angeles Rams,” head coach Nathaniel Hackett said on Friday. “Russ is one of our ultimate competitors in his game. He’s unbelievable. We informed him of the decision and he was not happy with it. He wants to be out there and play. He’s very, very competitive, as we all know, and wants to compete for this team and be out there.”

Wilson has spent much of his first season in Denver battling injuries. He missed a game against the New York Jets earlier this fall after being banged up both on his shoulder and leg.

“We as an organization, after discussing and talking throughout this entire week, have decided it’s best for our organization and it’s best for Russell, we talked about this from the top all the way to the bottom,” Hackett said. “So we looked at every single thing and just want to give them another week to get ready. We’re very confident in Ryp. Very excited about rip and this opportunity to go against the Arizona Cardinals.”

Backup Brett Rypien started that game against the Jets, throwing for 225 yards and one pick. The Broncos lost that game 16-9. Rypien came in last week and finished off the drive Wilson got hurt on, tossing the third touchdown of his NFL career. But he failed to answer the Chiefs, getting the ball twice down six late, but not scoring.

Wilson’s best game of the season came last Sunday before he was knocked out. The Broncos broke through, scoring 28 points, more than doubling their season average per game.

“He looks great out there, he’s been great, he’s been in meetings, he’s been doing everything great and he’s passed all the concussion protocol and done all that stuff,” Hackett said of this week. “This is an organization, we talked about it and we looked at it, and just wanted to do the best with player safety, it’s so important to us and we just want to do what’s right for him in this situation.”

The decision is made easier by the Broncos 3-10 record and the fact they’ve already been eliminated from postseason contention.

This means it’ll be a battle of the backups on Sunday at Mile High, given Kyler Murray is also out. Rypien will face journeyman Colt McCoy.

“We want Russell out there, Russell wants to be out there,” Hackett said. “But I think this is an amazing opportunity for Ryp. He played that game versus New York Jets. I thought he did a fine job. He put us in a position to be able to have a chance to tie the game at the end. And we want to see what he can do and get all the experience he can get is fantastic for him.”

***