Something weird is happening in Denver.
That statement would be true pretty much every week of a wild and wacky 2022 season. The current nuttiness comes from a sudden effort by multiple Broncos players to rush to the public defense of quarterback Russell Wilson.
From receiver Jerry Jeudy to receiver K.J. Hamler to receiver Kendall Hinton to receiver Tim Patrick to receiver Courtland Sutton to offensive lineman Garrett Bolles to former Broncos running back Melvin Gordon, players suddenly -- and supposedly organically -- are pushing back against the criticism of Wilson. The catalyst seems to be recent remarks from former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, who said the Wilson’s perceived better-than-the-rest-of-you attitude has teammates “seething.”
Frankly, the fact that some have spoken out doesn’t mean the rest of the them feel the same way. Sharpe surely wasn’t pulling his thoughts out of thin air; it’s possible that plenty are saying nothing at all because they have nothing good to say.
Besides, Sharpe isn’t the first one to rip Wilson this year. Why is the pushback only happening now?
It feels orchestrated and contrived. With Wilson going nowhere in 2023, it could be part of a broader effort to create the impression to coaching candidates that the team isn’t one giant ball of oily dysfunction.
The more together the players seem to be, the more likely they are to land a good coach. In contrast, the messier things seem in the locker room, the more likely a coach with options will opt to go elsewhere.
It’s perhaps the only plausible explanation for this sudden, simultaneous effort to support a player who has been embattled for months.
