Per Mike Klis of 9News, Nathaniel Hackett has said that the Denver Broncos are set to start Russell Wilson at quarterback for Sunday morning’s battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars, barring a setback.
Poke fun at his high-knee exercises in the airplane aisles all you want but Russell Wilson has sufficiently recovered from his left hamstring injury and will start Sunday vs Jaguars per Hackett. (Barring setback). #9sports
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) October 28, 2022
Russell Wilson missed last week’s matchup with the New York Jets, and Brett Rypien didn’t inspire much confidence in his lone start, throwing two interceptions and failing to help the offense produce more than nine points.
Although that’s right in line with what Wilson has managed to produce, Wilson has also been a top-10 quarterback for nearly his entire career, so his return to the lineup carries some optimism along with it.
While Russell Wilson’s return to the lineup is generally good news for the Denver Broncos, it does raise some concerns too. Last season, Wilson returned early from a finger injury, missing just three weeks as opposed to six, only to turn in what was the worst three-week stretch of his NFL career, prior to 2022.
With him already playing through injury in games against the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers, and turning in his worst performances of the season, it’s fair to worry about whether or not Wilson is truly ready to help the team with his on-field performance.
All that said, the Broncos don’t really have a choice other than start Russell Wilson.
The season is already on life support, key players are on the trade block and rumors are already starting to bubble up about Nathaniel Hackett maybe being fired if the team loses in London. The Denver Broncos are desperate for a win, and understandably believe Wilson gives them the best chance to accomplish that goal.