With Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson at a career crossroads, there’s a question as to whether his subpar performance in 2022 was an aberration or a new, post-Seahawks normal. The question has prompted a closer examination of Wilson’s work habits and commitment to becoming the best player he can be — not based on what he chooses to highlight on social media, but based on the reality of what he’s truly doing.
In Seattle, Wilson tried to augment his understanding of the team’s offense by talking to Mike Holmgren, former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Packers and Super Bowl-qualifying coach of the Seahawks. Holmgren, who worked during Wilson’s Seahawks career as a radio analyst in Seattle, seemed to be interested in avoiding a political football when Wilson wanted Holmgren’s help.
“I kind of was keeping my distance there because when he was with Seattle, I got to know him and he would text me and ask me questions,’’ Holmgren told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. “I’m the old coach. I’ve got to be careful. You’ve got other guys coaching. Let’s keep it like that.”
Holmgren did sit down with Wilson, but it sounds as if his help was generic in nature.
“I remember one of my earliest conversations with him,’’ Holmgren said. “He wanted to sit down and talk to me when I was doing a show [at the Seahawks facility]. He seemed to be very attentive. I told him, ‘You’re going to be pulled in a million different directions in the league and you’ve got to learn to say no. You have to learn to focus on your football.’”
Wilson wanted to know from Holmgren what it was like to coach the likes of Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Brett Favre.
“He’s very curious,’’ Holmgren said of Wilson. “He was very inquisitive. I told him, ‘If I lived through Brett, I can live through anything.”’
Careful, Mike. You don’t want Brett to sue you.
Broncos fans might want the team to sue Wilson for a full refund if he doesn’t improve this year. If anyone can turn things around, it’s new coach Sean Payton, who aspires to do what Holmgren nearly did: become the first coach to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.