Russell Wilson Puts Haters On Notice Ahead of 2023 Season Kickoff

Russell Wilson has kept the receipts on the shade and disrespect he received last year.

After a decade of being an NFL darling, Russell Wilson became a national lampoon last year. If it wasn't 'Broncos Country, let's ride,' it was something about knee-highs on airplanes or worse. 

Wilson made himself an easy target by turning in the worst year of his career. It was bad. Shockingly so. 

But that was then. This is now. 

With Sean Payton taking control of the Denver Broncos, Wilson's outlook is on the rise. And like an elephant, Wilson won't be quick to forget the shade, and those who threw it, from last year. 

On Wednesday, Wilson was asked directly if he's kept "receipts" on last year's, at times, unfair critics. 

"I think you got them in your back pocket sometimes," Wilson said with a chuckle. "Listen, I'm used to some of those who believe and some of those who doubt. I think that when you're playing high stakes, and you dream to be the best that you can possibly be every day, there's always going to be people that question whether you can do it or not. And I think I've proven that, throughout my career, what I can do, and I've got to do it again. And that's just that's just the name of the game."

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Indeed, much like the Broncos' general doubters, the only way for Wilson to silence the antipathy and disrespect is to win ball games again. And not five or six or seven. Wilson has to lead the Broncos to double-digit wins. 

Wilson did just that in eight of the 10 seasons he spent with the Seattle Seahawks. Only twice did Wilson's Seahawks miss the postseason tournament. And he led the team to a pair of Super Bowl berths, winning one (over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII). 

Along the way, Wilson earned a whopping nine Pro Bowl nods. He built a Hall-of-Fame-worthy resume in his first NFL home, so when he says that he needs to "do it again," one understands how the enormity of the objective is balanced with the reality that he was considered to be one of the NFL's most consistent winners at quarterback for a decade — a perception that existed at this time one year ago. 

It's not beyond the pale to expect Wilson to bounce back under any new coaching staff. After all, after the Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett, Wilson's play improved by leaps and bounds in the final two games of the season under the coaching shifts made by interim head coach Jerry Rosburg. 

Now imagine how Wilson's stock rises with one of the NFL's best offensive minds of the 21st century coaching him. When the history books write of this era of the NFL, Payton's name will get mentioned among the likes of Andy Reid, and perhaps younger coaches like Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan (if they can build on what they've already accomplished), as the pivotal offensive innovators. 

Wilson has his grudges. It's only fuel on the motivational fire. But Wilson doesn't want 2023 to be about him. Rather, the team. 

"All of us together, and we want to do it for our team and do it together," Wilson said. "And it's not about me, but it's really about us playing at the highest level and winning for this organization."

That mission begins on Sunday as the Broncos host the Las Vegas Raiders to kick off the season. 

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