Report: Broncos OL Would Tell Russell Wilson 'Hell No' When QB Tried to Make Changes

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson reportedly received some pushback from his offensive line at times during the 2022 season when he tried to make changes to his cadence.

According to Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic, an anonymous coach said Wilson sometimes added "cadences" that weren't practiced much, leading to confusion and communication issues.

The coach added that the problems led to some of the leaders along the offensive line saying, "Hell no," when Wilson would attempt to inform them of such changes.

Although Broncos guard Dalton Risner didn't specifically blame Wilson, he did confirm that there were communication issues at times, saying: "There were confusing times during this season where you may wonder why a decision was made and where that decision came from."

After missing the playoffs in six consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2021, the Broncos made an aggressive move by acquiring Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, tight end Noah Fant, quarterback Drew Lock and defensive lineman Shelby Harris.

The expectation was that a future Hall of Fame quarterback and one-time Super Bowl winner in Wilson would push the Broncos back into playoff and perhaps even Super Bowl contention, but that didn't come close to happening.

Denver's offense was out of sync for essentially the entire season, and it resulted in the worst statistical campaign of Wilson's 11-year NFL career.

In 15 games, Wilson went 4-11 as a starter and completed a career-low 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,524 yards, a career-low 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Before trading for Wilson, the Broncos also hired Nathaniel Hackett as head coach after his successful run as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

There was speculation that the hiring of Hackett was meant to try to lure quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Broncos, but regardless of the motivations, it didn't come close to working out.

Amid the team's offensive struggles, Hackett was fired just 15 games into his head coaching tenure with a 4-11 record.

In his place, the Broncos hired longtime New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who brings an impressive history of quality offensive play-calling and a Super Bowl win to the table.

Hackett's lack of experience as a head coach potentially could have prevented him from truly taking charge of the offense and ensuring there wasn't any miscommunication, but Payton almost certainly won't have any qualms about doing so.

For years, the New Orleans offense was dominant with Payton calling the plays for a quarterback similar in stature to Wilson in future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, so there is hope for Wilson and Co. to turn things around in a significant way in 2023.