The Denver Broncos might have found their next quarterback in rookie Bo Nix, but they haven’t forgotten about their previous one. During Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Empower Field at Mile High played clips of Russell Wilson sacked and harassed during his Pittsburgh Steelers’ debut Saturday against the Buffalo Bills.
As one fan in attendance noted, the Broncos’ crowd loudly boo’d Wilson as the clips were shown on-screen.
Another fan noted the same, replying in this tweet that the “crowd loved it” after seeing Wilson get taken down.
Broncos’ beat writer Lindsay Jones tweeted there were “mild cheers” when Wilson was shown being taken down.
Wilson was supposed to be the team’s next great quarterback, acquired in a blockbuster deal ahead of the 2022 season. Instead, Wilson and the Broncos struggled to find success, missing the playoffs in both years he started. Denver had one of the league’s worst offenses in 2022 behind an overwhelmed rookie coach in Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired before completing his first season.
Under Sean Payton in 2023, the Broncos’ offense was better and Russell Wilson threw 26 touchdowns. But he was figuratively sacked before the regular season wrapped up, benched by the end of the year. Denver released him at the start of the new league year.
It’s a preview of the “welcome” Wilson is likely to receive when he returns to Denver in Week 2, presumably as the Steelers’ starter. Pittsburgh will look to get off to a fast start to the season but have two difficult matchups to begin the year, going on the road to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 before travelling to Mile High in Week 2, a venue they haven’t had much success in.
Wilson had a hostile return to Seattle in 2022, booed by the Seahawks’ 12th man despite bringing the first and only Super Bowl to the franchise. The Seahawks narrowly came out on top, 17-16, despite Wilson throwing for 340 yards and one touchdown.
But even the normally calm Russell Wilson would love to prove his former team wrong and secure a victory. To do that, he and the Steelers’ offense will certainly need a stronger showing than Saturday night. Making his Pittsburgh debut, Wilson threw for just 47 yards on eight completions and was under constant pressure, sacked three times as the Steelers’ offense produced zero points across his five drives. Through two preseason games, Wilson nor Fields have led a touchdown drive. Only third-string QB Kyle Allen has helped put the ball in the end zone with his two touchdown possessions in the opener against the Houston Texans.
Denver hasn’t announced a starting quarterback but seems likely to roll with Nix, the team’s first round pick. He had a strong outing in a 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers, completing 8-of-9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Nix is competing with veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. But Stidham threw an interception, albeit a fluky one off a tipped pass, while Wilson completed just 2-of-6 passes and was sacked twice.