As the 2023 approaches, many eyes are on the Denver Broncos under first-year head coach Sean Payton. Those same eyes are also locked in on quarterback Russell Wilson, who suffered through the worst season of his NFL career last year. The hope in Denver is that the Payton-Wilson duo can lead the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
While, many also believe Wilson is primed for a bounce-back season, NFL analyst Bart Scott isn’t drinking the Kool-Aid. In fact, Scott is predicting an even worse season for Wilson this time around. While appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday, Scott even used the word “catastrophic” when describing what he expects of Wilson’s play in 2023.
Apology To Nathaniel Hackett?
Scott predicts a season so bad for Wilson that Payton will be forced to apologize to his quarterback’s former coach.
“I think it’s gonna be catastrophic,” Scott said. “I think Sean Payton is going to go up Week 5 and say, ‘Nathaniel Hackett, I’m sorry. He’s worse than I thought he was.’”
Scott’s referencing Payton’s personal attack on Hackett a couple weeks ago where he called the former Broncos coach out over how badly coached the team was last season. Payton apologized after receiving blowback from different media personalities and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who’s a great friend of Hackett’s and is once again paired with him in New York.
Wilson Was Not Good In 2022
The 2022 season was a forgettable one for Wilson and the Broncos. The team went 4-11 in Wilson’s 15 starts, and in those games Wilson passed for 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. For most quarterbacks those numbers wouldn’t be considered a bad season, but when you’ve accomplished all Wilson has in his career prior to coming to Denver, those numbers are not good.
Wilson also took a league-high 55 sacks, and film shows that many were because of his unwillingness to pull the trigger, and not all on the offensive line.
Scott believes Payton will turn on Wilson when things start to unravel. Only time will tell, but it’s definitely a possibility.
