The Denver Broncos have seemingly dropped to a new low, following an ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers and leaks about division inside the locker room.
What did Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett have to say about these rumors on Wednesday, and which Broncos are practicing this week? Let’s look.
Denver Broncos Injuries
As has been the case nearly every week of the 2022 NFL Season, the Denver Broncos continue to be smothered by injuries.
Wednesday's #DENvsBAL injury report:
📰 » https://t.co/C3UbTuGism pic.twitter.com/uqnC1qcXC2
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 30, 2022
Today, Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler once again missed practice with injury, though head coach Nathaniel Hackett said both were day-to-day, and that both could see the field on Sunday.
“We’re hoping [they’ll play Sunday]. We want them,” Hackett told the press. “When you’re day-to-day we’re hoping that they can push and get out there. We need them. We love when they’re out there. Gives us an extra threat down the field.”
K’Waun Williams also continues to miss practice, and isn’t expected to play this week. Being without Williams has crippled Denver’s secondary, as they’re also without Caden Sterns, who’d likely be their first backup option in the nickel.
Surprising absences today were Kareem Jackson and Dre’Mont Jones. According to Hackett, Jones missed practice with an illness, while the practice report states that Jackson missed practice for non-injury-related reasons.
The Denver Broncos were also without Andrew Beck, Jonathan Harris, and Dakota Allen at practice today, while Dalton Risner was a limited participant.
Both Kendall Hinton and Jalen Virgil were listed on the injury report, despite being full participants, with a foot injury and a hip injury, respectively.
Latest on the Denver Broncos
The latest buzz around the Denver Broncos comes from NFL Media insider Tom Pelissero, who characterized the atmosphere surrounding the franchise and Russell Wilson in a troubling way.
“One of the things that I’ve consistently heard about it is Nathaniel Hackett, for everything that has gone wrong, and everything that people are saying about his job right now, he has not lost that locker room,” Pelissero said on “The Insiders”, an NFL Network show, on Tuesday. [Russell Wilson] has lost some people around that team. He has lost some people in that locker room.”
That is a fascinating report for a few reasons.
The fact Broncos players, who know more about the interworkings of the offense than any of us on the outside, blame Wilson over Hackett feels incredibly telling. No one knows better than them who’s to blame for the offensive hiccups.
Another factor adding to the intrigue is the reputation that Pelissero is one of Paton’s most trusted insiders. If the story came from Paton, it could represent the first sign of a hard shift from the office, in regard to Wilson.
However, despite all the drama in the news, Coach Hackett was quick to shut down the buzz.
“Yeah, I heard that a little bit,” the Denver Broncos head coach said. “To me, it’s all gossip. I know how this locker room [works] — and we have a fantastic locker room. When you look at a guy like Russ (Russell Wilson), I mean he’s unbelievable. I mean, he works. I’ve never seen somebody work that hard. I’ve never seen somebody try to embrace a team like he has, while he’s here. Just from everything that he does. From walkthroughs to helping, how he is in the community. Russ is awesome. We just have to do better as a team. It’s that simple. And all that stuff? It is what it is. I love Russ.”
Coach Hackett also complimented Wilson for how the quarterback has managed to respond to the amplified criticism he’s faced since joining the Denver Broncos this season.
“When you sign up for this profession, wherever it is — especially quarterback, certain coaches, certain players — if you lose, you’re going to get criticism. It’s that simple. And the idea is, that you gotta keep your head down, you’ve gotta keep working, you’ve gotta do everything you can to put the team in the best position, and they’ve gotta feel that and know that. And that’s something [Russell Wilson] does. He doesn’t get affected. He might come out here and work harder, and I didn’t think you could.”
Wilson was also quick to shoot down the reports himself.
“No, I mean, I think that, first of all, everybody wants to win,” Russell Wilson said. “We all want to win, and nobody wants to win more than me and this team, and what we want to be able to do. I think, also, as well, I’ve got great relationships in that locker room, so whoever was trying to tear it down, you can’t. I think the best thing about it is, is that it’s been an amazing journey coming here, moving here, being here. … There’s always noise, especially when things aren’t going the way that you want it to, all of the time. And so, the thing is, you don’t bat an eye. You know that my biggest goal every day is to continue to try to lead at the highest level, and to be consistent with my approach, and to never change and not let the highs of life change you and not let the lows. Just be consistent with your approach, and knowing that I love these guys every day, and who they are, and what they’re about, and how they’ve impacted this community, and what they’ve done. It’s a blessing to be on this team, and I’m honored to be a part of this.”
All that said, it’s hard to say those blurbs instilled much confidence that the Denver Broncos locker room is sticking together. It feels more like lip service.