Wilson’s goals would surpass Manning and put him on par with Elway

“Winning is everything.”

Russell Wilson uttered that phrase multiple times during his introductory press conference on Wednesday. For the Broncos new quarterback, that’s his primary goal.

It’s why he’s in Denver. He believes he’s joining a team – from the front office, to the coaching staff to the players – that can accomplish that task.

“If I was going to waive my no-trade clause, it was going to be to a winning football team,” Wilson said when explaining why he chose to leave Seattle for Denver. “And these guys are winners.”

That’s because Wilson has big goals. He plans to finish out his career in a Broncos uniform. And along the way, accomplish some pretty lofty things.

“My goal is to play 10-12 more years and hopefully win three or four more Super Bowls,” the quarterback said with pure conviction. “That’s the mindset. That’s why I came here.”

That’s certainly music to the ears of everyone in Broncos Country. After the worst stretch of football since the franchise entered the NFL as part of the merger with the AFL, any kind of winning would be good. Doing it at that level would be a dream come true.

It would also put Wilson in rarified air. On a franchise that has been blessed to watch 20 combined years with two Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks behind center, that would put No. 3’s resume at or near the top of the list.

He’s certainly surpass Peyton Manning’s tenure with the Broncos. No. 18 played four seasons in Denver, won 45 regular-season games, set numerous passing records, went to two Super Bowls and won a title.

Wilson wants to do more.

And it would come close to topping John Elway’s resume with the Broncos. No. 7 played 16 seasons in the Mile High City, won 148 regular-season games, went to five Super Bowls and won back-to-back championships in his final two years.

Wilson’s goal would top even that run of success.

To play a decade-plus in Denver, the quarterback would be in his mid- to late-30s by the time he retired. In order to keep playing that long, he’d have to still be performing at a high level personally, while his team continued to win a lot of games.

If that’s the case, he’ll amass numbers that rival Elway and Manning. He’ll build a body of work in terms of winning that will compete with those two legends.

In 10-12 years, Wilson would throw for a lot of yards and touchdowns in a Broncos uniform. He’d win a lot of games and play in a lot of big moments.

If he reaches his goal of winning multiple Super Bowls in Denver, he’d be in the conversation about the greatest player in the history of the franchise. He’d be in the same stratosphere as Elway and Manning.

That’s a pressure that has crushed a lot of quarterbacks who have come before him. It’s a shadow that many QBs might want to avoid.

But not Wilson. He’s leaning into the challenge of following in the footsteps of Nos. 7 and 18.

“Why would you want it any other way?” he responded when asked about the daunting task in front of him. “I want to compete at the highest level.”

In Denver, that means playing like Elway and Manning. It means going to and winning Super Bowls.

“Winning is everything.”

The quarterback and Broncos Country have the same mentality.

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