Former NFL quarterback has high expectations for Russell Wilson’s pairing with Sean Payton - “Gonna get the absolute most out of him”
The Denver Broncos acquired quarterback Russell Wilson last off-season in hopes of becoming a Super Bowl contender. This off-season the team acquired former New Orleans head coach Sean Payton to help elevate the team and Wilson, hoping to be a more competitive team this season.
Denver's front office believes heavily in the Wilson and Payton duo and showed it by trading multiple first and second-round picks for the two.
Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, who spent 2017 with the Saints under Payton, thinks that Payton will reach success with Wilson as his quarterback. Daniel joined Kay Adams' show, Up and Adams, and thinks Payton will get the best out of Wilson.
"It's going to be the Saints offense, it's going to be the Chargers offense. So, how well is he going to install it? How well is he going to pick it up in terms of Russell Wilson, right like Russell and Drew have some similarities. Of course, they're both six feet, but their, their, their insatiable appetite for like competing, both of those guys are what I just draw from that and that is what Sean wants, like, Sean is gonna get the absolute most out of him."
Daniel then pointed to Wilson having a bad season last year due to playing hurt.
"I think, obviously, Russell's last year has been talked about what he was able to do last year. He was hurt, he was injured, he's healthy."
Daniel has good insight on Payton as a coach as he worked under him as Drew Brees' backup during the 2017 season.
Can Russell Wilson and Sean Payton make the Denver Broncos a playoff team?
Last season, the Denver Broncos finished 5-12 under Russell Wilson's first season as the team's QB. They missed the playoffs and placed last in the AFC West division and it resulted in first-year head coach, Nathaniel Hackett being fired.
It'll be tough for Denver to fight for first place as the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are in the same division that finished the regular season 14-3.
Wilson suffered from the worst statistical season of his career a year ago. He has the worst winning record (4-11) completion percentage (60.5) and passer rating (84.4) in any season of his career.
Payton took 2022 off from coaching but finished 9-8 in 2021, and won four-straight NFC South conference titles the four seasons prior. It isn't impossible for the Broncos to make the playoffs, but both Wilson and Payton will need to be on their A-game for some magic to happen in Denver.