Things have changed; the Broncos are no longer “all about Russ”

New offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was positive about his quarterback, but it was evident that the special treatment days are over

BY JAMES MERILATT

Jun 14, 2023, 3:18 PM

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A year ago at this time, it was “all about Russ.” First-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his relatively inexperienced coaching staff, at least in terms of their positions at the time, were catering to Russell Wilson.

The quarterback ran the show. The coaches followed his lead.

Wilson was involved in all aspects of the offense. The Broncos were running a hodgepodge of things he liked from his days in Seattle, with a little of Hackett’s influence sprinkled in.

It was a miserable failure. The Broncos had the lowest-scoring offense in the league, averaging just 16.9 points per game. And Wilson had one of his worst seasons, throwing for just 16 touchdowns, while tossing 11 interceptions. It was disaster on every front.

As a result, Hackett was shown the door after just 15 games. He was replaced by Sean Payton, a head coach with an impeccable resume, including a Super Bowl win.

Clearly, Payton is in charge. This was reinforced on Wednesday when the team’s new offensive coordinator, Joe Lombardi, met with the media for the first time.

Not surprisingly, he was asked about Wilson. More specifically, he was asked about getting the quarterback back on track.

Lombardi didn’t mince words. It was clear that Wilson is being treated just like every other player. He’s getting no special accommodations just because he’s a high-priced QB.

“The answer for him is what the answer is for everyone – work hard every day, get your fundamentals down, understand what you’re trying to accomplish,” Lombardi said when asked about the keys for Wilson bouncing back this season.

That includes getting on board with how things are now going to be done. The days of doing things Russ’s way are over.

“There’s some muscle memory that we have to overcome,” Lombardi added. “He’s used to doing things a certain way and we’re presenting new way of doing things.”

So far, Wilson has been receptive to the changes.

“He shows up every day ready to work,” Lombardi continued. “He’s the same guy every day, same attitude. He’s really fun to work with.”

That’s giving the offensive coordinator a reason to be optimistic.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Lombardi said, managing expectations. “But for June 14th, we’re really happy where he’s at. So far, it’s been really good.”

What a difference a year makes. This time around, the quarterback is having to prove himself. He’s having to run the system the coaches want him to run. He’s having to do everything his teammates are doing, with no special treatment.

Ultimately, that’ll be better for the Broncos. It’ll likely be better for Russell Wilson.

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