Broncos Rumors: Russell Wilson 'Sometimes Struggled to Repeat the Calls Efficiently'

The Denver Broncos' clock management issues may not have been solely down to former head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

The Athletic's Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks reported that team sources said Hackett "typically relayed the play calls to [Russell] Wilson with 20-25 seconds remaining on the 40-second play clock."

That would leave ample time for the offense to get set and snap the ball. However, Wilson reportedly "sometimes struggled to repeat the calls efficiently or offered too much instruction to teammates in the huddle."

"Other sources put the issue on the coaches, saying the staff asked Wilson to over-communicate to make sure everyone was aligned," Kahler, Sando and Jenks wrote

The Broncos' inability to manage the play clock was glaring from the outset. After just two games, Hackett hired Jerry Rosburg to help solve the problem. Nevertheless, the issue persisted.

Even new head coach Sean Payton couldn't help but to poke fun at the situation during his introductory press conference:

For the most part, Hackett shouldered the criticism because he was the coach and the guy calling the plays. When an offense is failing to execute such a basic function, it's bound to reflect poorly on the staff.

In The Athletic's report, Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy came to Wilson's defense, explaining how the nine-time Pro Bowler "would give us a motivational speech to get us going before that play."

"I don't think he would say anything extra or anything unnecessary," Jeudy said. "He would give us the call and some motivational words and a little something extra like, 'Get this block,' but I don't think it was nothing long-winded."

But former Broncos offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus reported in November that Wilson was "at the line of scrimmage using audibles from the Seahawks," which in turn confused his teammates.

After spending 10 years with not only the same team but also the same head coach, getting traded can present an even bigger challenge. Still, you'd expect a quarterback with Wilson's pedigree to figure things out before too long.

Wilson's performance in 2022 alone was enough to raise serious questions about his long-term outlook. He threw for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and his 36.7 QBR ranked 27th in the NFL.

But the 34-year-old might be a bigger reclamation project in Denver than we realize.