Broncos DL Zach Allen Speaks Out on Russell Wilson's Footspeed

Zach Allen chased Russell Wilson for three years in the NFC West.

Zach Allen may have joined the Denver Broncos this past spring, but it wasn't his first exposure to quarterback Russell Wilson. As an Arizona Cardinals defensive end from 2018-21, Allen competed against Wilson's Seattle Seahawks twice per year for three of those seasons. 

On the heels of a disappointing first year in Denver, Wilson is a hot topic around town and nationally. Can new head coach Sean Payton bring him back from the brink? 

The Russ questions are ceaseless, and as a nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback, that's just the way it is. However, Allen has a unique insight on Wilson after chasing him around for three years as an opponent and also trying to outsmart the QB on defense. 

“Yeah, he's still fast," Allen said of Wilson on Monday. "There's definitely a couple of times where after practice, we’ll be, ‘I think I got you’ and he'll say, ‘No, you didn't.’ And then we have to watch the film, and sometimes I did get him, sometimes I didn't get him. So, no, he's still a great athlete and just very fortunate to have him. He's looked great.”

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Tied to the issue of anxieties over Wilson being 'washed' is the question of whether he's lost some of the footspeed that helped make him an elite NFL quarterback. Allen's insight would indicate that Russ still has 'it' in his legs — or, at least, enough of 'it.' 

Wilson arrived in Denver last year a little thicker than expected, and that additional weight could have been a factor in his disappointing season and the takeaway of some analysts that he had lost his footspeed. Fast forward to 2023, and the 12th-year pro has definitely slimmed down some. 

A more svelt Wilson has looked mobile and elusive since Broncos training camp began, which is a trait that Coach Payton will surely be looking to exploit this season. Some media observers of the first few days of training camp seemed alarmed at Wilson holding onto the ball too long and running more often than perhaps Payton might want. 

However, Payton dismissed those concerns last week, chalking it up to the trial-and-error learning curve of a QB assimilating a new offense with novel philosophies and techniques, to boot. Earlier this offseason, even new Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi talked about changing some of Russ' "muscle memory" for Payton's scheme. 

“I think he’s doing well. I like what I’ve seen," Payton said on Friday. "I said it yesterday. There are times when you’re not seeing a clean picture, and he’s scrambling. In a game-type mode, though, where we’re running the ball more and with the installations that we’re doing—I think he’s doing well. I like where he’s at.”

Time will tell exactly what version of Wilson Broncos fans will see this year. Will it be the vintage Russ that NFL fans came to know and respect for a decade? Will he look similar to the in-over-his-head QB of 2022?

Or is it possible that we'll see a completely new version of Wilson — one that is rebuilt in Payton's image? If I were to wager, I'd err on the side of the latter, which could be some amalgamation of vintage Russ mixed with vintage Drew Brees. 

We'll get the first hint of the answer on Friday when the Broncos travel to take on the Cardinals in preseason Game 1. All will be known in due time.

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