Russell Wilson's historically awful second-half performance vs. Chargers proves Broncos' trade was a huge mistake
The Denver Broncos shocked the NFL world when the team announced that they were acquiring Nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson in a trade this offseason.
Unfortunately for Denver, their new quarterback hasn't been the player they bargained for. After an atrocious second-half performance against the Chargers on Monday Night Football, Wilson proved to be true once more.
Over the last handful of seasons, fans league-wide have described the Broncos as a team one [franchise] quarterback away from being a legitimate contender. With the acquisition of Russell Wilson, who's earned an All-Pro selection as well as a Super Bowl ring, Denver finally grabbed the quarterback needed to take the next step.
Or so the team thought.
The hype around Denver's new roster was massive, adding Wilson to a team that has already fielded a fantastic defense. Fans were ready for Russ to 'cook', and even began chanting "Let's Ride" as the team rode into the regular season.
The Broncos' defense has lived up to expectations, surrendering the third-lowest number of yards per game in addition to the fourth-least points.
While the defense is proving to be exactly as advertised, the new quarterback in town has been nothing short of disappointing.
Over the course of the season, Wilson has found himself with 5 passing touchdowns (T23), an 82.3 quarterback rating (23), and the fifth-lowest completion percentage in the NFL.
As bad as those numbers are, they're fantastic compared to what Wilson posted in the second-half of his most recent game on Monday, where the 33-year-old went three-for-eleven with 15 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 39.6; a rating equivalent to throwing the ball into the dirt on every snap.
Russell Wilson was 3-of-11 for 15 yards and 0 TD in the second half and OT.
39.6 rating.
The #Broncos gave Wilson $124 million guaranteed.
#BroncosCountry
This is only the latest disappointing performance from a player Denver traded a king's ransom to acquire. That being the case, it's almost safe to say that the Broncos made a mistake trading for Wilson - a huge mistake that may linger for years.
The Broncos should be regretting the Russell Wilson trade while Seattle celebrates
Getting the Seahawks to agree to terms with a trade for Wilson was no light task. In the end, it took Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant, two first-round draft picks ('22, '23) and two second-round draft picks ('22, '23).
The Broncos also tossed a fourth-rounder in the 2022 NFL Draft, while Seattle gave up an additional '22 fifth-round pick.
To put it bluntly, this is shaping up to be one of the worst trades of the decade.
There's nothing to show Russ' worth throughout the six weeks of the season. The numbers are bad, and so is the 2-4 record Denver now has. Even with an offensive line that ranks eighth in PFF's latest rankings, Wilson is unable to do much of anything.
The situation is even worse when you factor in the five-year, $245 million extension Wilson received following the trade. In fact, this means Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos will be conjoined for some time; seven years, in fact.
On the other hand, the Seahawks are thriving with their new additions.
Both Shelby Harris and Noah Fant are starters in Seattle, just as they would be for the Broncos. These two players have earned a PFF grade north of 70 in the early portion of the year, while Wilson finds himself under 60.
Right off the bat, this means Denver traded two starting-caliber players for Russell Wilson, who both continue to play great football with their new team.
The '22 first-round draft pick shipped to Seattle happened to be the ninth-overall pick. With such a high selection, Denver could've got a stud regardless of which direction they wanted to travel in.
For the Seahawks, they went with OT Charles Cross. Cross has earned a 64.6 grade in pass blocking at his left tackle position, allowing 14 pressures through six contests.
We can't forget Drew Lock, either. While he might seem insignificant in this trade, don't underestimate the value of a backup quarterback. Some coaches even go as far as saying the starting quarterback of a team is the most important player, and the QB2 is the second-most important.
The real kick in the face here is Geno Smith, who took over as Seattle's quarterback following the Russell Wilson trade.
Geno is severely outplaying Wilson. While Russ has recorded the fifth-lowest completion percentage in the NFL, Smith is currently the league-leader. On top of that, Smith has the third-highest quarterback rating; a ranking much different than Wilson's 23rd.
Perhaps the Broncos can fix things down the road, but for now, the Russell Wilson trade remains one of the most one-sided deals over the last handful of years. Wilson's atrocious second-half performance on Monday night only helped solidify that.