After spending the first 10 seasons of his career in Seattle, Russell Wilson is now in Denver, where one of his biggest challenges this offseason will be learning a new offense.
When you play quarterback in the NFL, switching teams is never easy, and that’s mainly because it can be difficult to learn a new offense (some quarterbacks have likened it to trying to learn a new language). Even for Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, there seemed to be an adjustment period when they signed with their new teams.
In his first year with the Broncos, Manning’s team started 2-3 before going 11-game winning streak to end the 2012 season. A similar thing happened to Brady, who watched his Buccaneers start 7-5, before that they could win eight straight games, including the Super Bowl.
Although Wilson may be off to a slow start, Manning says the Broncos’ new quarterback actually has an advantage that he didn’t have in 2012 and that is the fact that the Broncos have a new coaching staff.
“I think he’s off to a fast start talking to him,” Manning said this week, via the Broncos’ official website. “I think it’s to Russell’s advantage to bring in a new coaching staff, because everyone is learning and Russell will know this offense better than anybody. So he’ll be in teaching mode as well. If you’re a new player and you’re catching up with everyone the others in a leadership position, that can be difficult. So I think Russell has a real advantage where they are learning to coach [Nathaniel] Hackett’s offense together, figuring out what works and what doesn’t and I think obviously it’s going to be great for our young receivers. Like all Broncos fans, [I’m] excited to see him get to work this fall.”
Hackett spent the past three seasons as the Packers’ offensive coordinator in Green Bay before being hired as Denver’s head coach this offseason, which means every player on offense will learn the playbook along with Wilson.
Another thing Manning likes about Wilson’s first offseason with the Broncos is the fact that he gathered a group of his new teammates so they could hold a pitching session at Wilson’s home in San Diego. Manning did something similar during his time in Denver, except his pitching session took place in North Carolina.
“I imagine San Diego is a little more exciting than Durham in April, although we did throw some Duke-NC basketball games during the day, so that was great,” Manning said. “Wherever you go, I like the off-campus launch. There is something in the [fact that] Russell can lead him, just him and the receivers — the coaches aren’t around. There is some leadership there from all the players. Obviously going to San Diego, it seems like it’s a great facility. I talked to Russell. In fact, he sent me the film of the launch that they did, and I found that they worked very well. So I think they’re off to a good start.”
If Wilson can get Hackett’s offense back quickly, it’s possible he’ll avoid the slow starts that plagued both Manning and Brady with their new teams, and if that happens, the Broncos could become an obscure Super Bowl contender by 2022. .
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