The Russell Wilson Experiment has gone completely off the rails for the Denver Broncos, and one potential reason why, is the two soft tissue injuries that are presently hampering Wilson.
He was already playing through a strained latissimus dorsi muscle the past two weeks, and now he will add a hamstring injury to the list, which currently has him listed as ‘day-to-day’.
With how much Wilson has been struggling, much of Broncos Country has begun to wonder if the Broncos would be better off with a fully healthy Brett Rypien.
POD POLL: Are the Broncos better off with a healthy Brett Rypien or an injured Russell Wilson?
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) October 18, 2022
Head coach Nathaniel Hackett alluded to that point with Russell Wilson’s injury on Tuesday.
“With Russell [Wilson], he’s the ultimate competitor. He’s going to do everything in his power to get out on that field,” Hackett said. “We have to make sure that he’s healthy enough to be able to go out and play at a high level. Whoever has to go in, whether it’s ‘Ryp’ (QB Brett Rypien), [QB] Josh [Johnson], or anybody, [I] feel confident that we will try to build a plan for them that makes them successful.”
What’s extra frustrating about this situation, is that Russell Wilson seemingly learned this lesson firsthand last year.
In 2021, after missing time with a finger injury, Wilson rushed back after just three weeks, rather than missing the recommended six weeks. Over the next three weeks, Wilson played quarterback at a poor level and was a detriment to the Seahawks’ chances of winning games. Then, once he was six weeks removed from the injury, Wilson once again lit fire, and looked like an elite quarterback.
Plus, these soft tissue injuries won’t heal up by having Wilson continue playing.
Remember when Greg Dulcich missed several months with a hamstring so that it could fully heal up? That might’ve been too extreme on the other end of the spectrum, but it’d be great to find a happy balance between that and keeping your injured player in the lineup.
“We will get a feel for [Russell Wilson’s injury] throughout today and tomorrow,” Hackett told the media on Tuesday.
If Wilson can’t play on Sunday, it will likely be Brett Rypien who gets the start against the New York Jets.