Shannon Sharpe reveals why Russell Wilson didn’t pop like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady
Before Russell Wilson landed in Denver, Peyton Manning landed in Denver and Tom Brady landed in Tampa Bay. Before both quarterbacks were done, they had secured a Super Bowl for their respective franchises and elevated their teams to other accomplishments. Trying to get history to repeat itself, the franchise took Russell Wilson for an arm and a leg.
Instead of the team elevating, it deflated with No. 3. Wilson's team winning fewer games than the previous year. After such a public transaction, Denver became the punching bag for the league. Since the end of the season, analysts have been doing postmortems, attempting to find the cause. Shannon Sharpe offered his opinion on Undisputed:
"I played with John Elway, who was a transcendent thrower of the ball. But if give him perks that everybody can see that nobody can get, his teammates will become resentful."
Listen to the podcast from 1:34:30 for Sharpe's comments:
He continued, drawing up the biggest difference between the two players and No. 3:
"I'm not telling you what somebody told me to say," said Sharpe. "I'm telling you what I know based on being in a locker room for the better part of my damn life. High school, college, the NFL. You cannot do that. You cannot. What made Peyton and Tom so great is that they ingratiated themselves... Peyton never had what the Broncos gave Russell Wilson."
What perks did Russell Wilson get in Denver?
For most players in the NFL, the coach is the king. If a coach wants something done, the player has two options. They can do the task, or they can leave. However, in certain situations like with Russell Wilson, the players can have a large say in what goes on.
Broncos LT Garrett Bolles doubled down on his validation of QB Russell Wilson. While also sending a direct message to all of his biggest critics. It’s easy for some to criticize when they’re on the outside looking in. #BroncosCountry https://t.co/koQ1e0FCS4
In No. 3's case, he reportedly got his own office, parking spot, and essentially had the power of a co-coach of the team. Well, it didn't go to plan and in 2023, Sean Payton appears to be the top dog in Denver.
How harsh is Sean Payton?
If Nathaniel Hackett's personality can be described as a smiley face, Sean Payton's could be described as a frown. The new Broncos head coach has a reputation around the league as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense leader. He doesn't care about being nice. He cares about getting the job done, which is a stark contrast to Pete Carroll and Nathaniel Hackett's upbeat coaching styles.
#Broncos coach Sean Payton told backup QB Ben DiNucci: 'There’s a Greeting job at Walmart' open for him after he threw a pick-6 at practice 🤣
The Broncos ownership also owns Walmart. https://t.co/hBCdPhYAOi
It will be uncharted territory for No. 3 this year as he settles into the Payton regime. Will he prove his worth for the former Drew Brees mentor?