3 Ways the Russell Wilson trade affects the AFC West, Raiders
By Alex Perl
Broncos will Contend in the AFC West
First off, the Broncos gave up a ton to get Wilson.
The trade saw the Broncos not only part with two first-round picks, but also traded away two starters in tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris, as well as backup quarterback Drew Lock.
The Broncos were solid though in 2021, finishing with seven wins while doing this with a starting quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater who was by far the worst starting quarterback in the AFC West.
In fact, the Broncos gave the Raiders a run for their money in the second matchup between the pair, with the Raiders squeaking by with a 17-13 victory, so imagine the difference with a talent like Wilson is added.
Russell Wilson for the first time in his career, missed some time in 2021 due to injury. A lot of people are reading a bit too much into this injury, and consider the 33-year-old quarterback to be slowing down. The injury was to his finger, and was a short-term issue that is fully healed.
Through his first ten seasons, no quarterback has more wins, and he ranks second over this course of time in passing touchdowns. Wilson is a blend of dynamic speed out of the pocket and dangerous arm strength that the Broncos have not possessed since the days of Peyton Manning.
If the Broncos were able to put up seven wins with struggling quarterback play, just how will they be with Russell Wilson now added to the mix?
Wilson is not slowing down, and at 33 years of age, this is not considered older at all in today’s standard for a quarterback. Point to the fact a 38-year-old Rodgers just received a four-year extension. Is Wilson of Rodgers talent? Probably not, but he has been as successful or maybe more, considering he has just as many Super Bowl victories and one more appearance than Rodgers.
We do not know what Wilson will bring to the table for the Broncos, but this is a significant upgrade for the franchise and has the chance to truly shift the division.