Could Russell Wilson be the Broncos' second coming of Peyton Manning?
The Denver Broncos have pulled off the move of the offseason by agreeing with the Seattle Seahawks on a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson. A haul of picks and players are heading to Seattle as Denver finally lands another franchise quarterback after years of searching.
In fact, the Broncos have been in a rough spot ever since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season. He won a Super Bowl and retired on top, literally limping to the finish line after dealing with many injuries late in his career.
Gotta give credit to the Broncos. They've drafted QBs and if they don't work out, they will trade for one (Manning and Wilson) in order to win. They've had down years as they try their draft pick out, but after that, they don't accept spinning their tires. Respect.
Yet he revitalized the franchise and was the first real star under center since John Elway. Now Wilson is trying to follow in the same footsteps. Could he be the next version of Manning in Denver?
Russell Wilson is trying to copy what Peyton Manning did with the Broncos
The storylines have their similarities for both players. Manning dealt with an injury that sidelined him for the entire 2011 season, leading the Indianapolis Colts to release him that offseason. For Wilson, he had a rough finger injury that caused him to miss time. That derailed the Seahawks' playoff hopes, and they, too, decided it was time to move on.
In both cases, the Broncos are the beneficiaries. The main difference here is that Manning was a free agent. However, Wilson has a full no-trade clause that must be waived, so in a sense, he had to pick his team as well.
He has a lot to live up to given Manning's success in Denver. The Hall of Famer won the NFL MVP award in 2013 after throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns. The Broncos also won, at least, 12 games with him starting every year from 2012-2014.
Manning had some serious weapons in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. Wilson will have the same in Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, to name a few.
In both scenarios, the quarterbacks may have just needed a fresh start. Manning won a single Super Bowl with the Colts, as Wilson did with the Seahawks. At some point it was time for both teams to move on and start a new era. Again, this works out well for Denver.
Aaron Rodgers was a 3-4-year solution.
Russell Wilson is an 8-to-10-year solution.
Advantage: WILSON
Biggest offseason day for the Broncos since they traded for Peyton Manning.
Manning was able to last four seasons in Denver before injuries forced his career to end. Wilson, however, is only 33 years old and has declared he wants to play for another decade. That could mean he exceeds anything Manning ever did in Denver. Winning, at least, one Super Bowl means their legacies will be equal. But two or three?
The former Seahawk great could have a full second career in Denver filled with amazing success.
Also Read: “IT’S HAPPENING!” - NFL fans lose their minds over blockbuster trade sending Russell Wilson to Broncos