Mile High Huddle

Broncos Stars Go Public in Defense of Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson has received unprecedented levels of media opposition and smear campaigns in Year 1 with the Denver Broncos.

Chad Jensen

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Shannon Sharpe is beginning to develop a reputation for his willingness to kick a man when he's down. The Denver Broncos Hall-of-Fame tight end turned TV hot-take artist took aim this week at quarterback Russell Wilson in the wake of head coach Nathaniel Hackett's firing. 

Sharpe took to his FS1 show with Skip Bayless to call Wilson out for putting himself "in front of the team," claiming that the quarterback's teammates in Denver have been "seething" over it. In response to Sharpe's vitriol, several of Wilson's offensive teammates took to social media to clap back and set the record straight. 

Wideout Jerry Jeudy didn't mince words on Twitter. 

"I ain’t gonna keep looking at these false statements about my boii Russ man, as a teammate who sees the elite work ethic this man has is incomparable. He got an office because he’s committed his life to this game. I never had a teammate who motivate me more then Russ," Jeudy wrote on Twitter. 

Jeudy would go on to say, "Just tired of the media trynna portray sum it’s not. Got the whole world fooled." 

Fellow wideout KJ Hamler even rose to Wilson's defense. For context, Hamler created a bit of a media firestorm following the Broncos' Week 5 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts when Wilson missed him running wide open in the end zone, and told reporters post-game, "I could have walked in." 

Although injuries have claimed most of Hamler's season with Wilson, he went to bat for his beleaguered quarterback. 

"Y’all really trying to bring this man down. Russ Is the most dedicated and hard working teammate I have had. And y’all wanna bring up this to put him under. Man stop it. 3ski a legend in my eyes. I Understand this season isn’t the way we wanted nor anybody wanted," Hamler wrote on Twitter. 

Hamler also said that Wilson "goes above and beyond to do whatever it takes to win for the team." 

Last week in L.A., Wilson was sacked six times by the Rams and hit relentlessly. On one drive, he was sacked twice, and nary a Broncos' offensive lineman could be bothered to help the quarterback to his feet, which sparked an altercation on the sideline when backup quarterback Brett Rypien hollered at starting left guard Dalton Risner, and the whole O-line, to, "Pick him up!" 

Risner didn't take kindly to Rypien's charge, shoving the QB and hollering, "Do something, Ryp!" The two had to be separated on the sideline but have since made up. 

However, the implication of none of Wilson's O-line teammates, the very men charged with protecting him, abiding by NFL custom and helping their quarterback to his feet following any hit or sack, was curious. Has Wilson become persona non grata among his O-line? 

Going off of left tackle Garett Bolles' defense of Wilson, perhaps not. It's the opinion of one man and a player who's missed most of this season with a broken leg, but Bolles stood in defense of Wilson on Twitter, too, releasing a statement. 

"This has been an incredibly difficult season personally and even more difficult watching my brother Russ get beaten down with hurtful attacks and lies. 

"Russ pours his heart and soul into this game. Most of all, he pours his heart and soul into our TEAM. He is one of the greatest competitors and teammates I've ever been around. 

"We have his back and know he wants nothing more than to WIN. That is our quarterback and brother. We'll learn from this adversity and be better for it together. 

"Bronco Country: trust that Russ and everyone on this team will do everything we can to get this right for you. You deserve it. Better days are ahead and we love you guys." 

Time will tell whether the Broncos are able to do as Bolles says and "get this right." The Walton/Penner ownership group has set about the process of searching for a new head coach to lead the team out of the NFL doldrums and, ostensibly, get the most out of Wilson. 

Here's the full Sharpe quote on Wilson that triggered his teammates. 

“I don’t know who the head coach is gonna be, but the first thing you do [is say], ‘Russell Wilson, I’m locking this office. You will no longer have an office. All those parking spaces you get the stadium, they’re gone too — because you’re putting yourself in front of the team.’ I said it before, I’ll say it again, and I stand by it: You ticked a lot of people off with your attitude, bro. You can come out here and talk about how we’re a team and I’m good with my teammates, but deep down inside, they’re seething, and I’m gonna leave it at that."

NBC Sports' Mike Florio says the support Wilson has received from his teammates "feels more than a little orchestrated." I have my doubts about that, as GM George Paton, who seems to have narrowly survived with his job after the botched 2022 season, could hardly be bothered to say word-one good about Wilson during Tuesday's presser and had to be cajoled by media to admit that the Broncos believe the 11th-year veteran is "fixable." 

It doesn't seem like Paton and the Broncos' top priority right now is salvaging Wilson's brand. It's damage control post-Hackett and about finding as close to a sure-thing head coach to fix this mess. 

We'll see how Wilson's teammates comport themselves on Sunday when the Broncos take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in hopes of snapping a 14-game losing streak to their bitter AFC West rival. 

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Chad Jensen
CHAD JENSEN

Chad Jensen is the Founder of Mile High Huddle and creator of the wildly popular Mile High Huddle Podcast. Chad has been on the Denver Broncos beat since 2012 and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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