Russell Wilson Rumors: 'Concerns About' QB's Ability to Play in Sean Payton's Offense

The coaching staff might be new for the Denver Broncos, but it appears the questions around star quarterback Russell Wilson remain the same ahead of the 2023 NFL season.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported Tuesday that "everyone who has seen Wilson agrees he's leaner and lighter than he was last year," and the nine-time Pro Bowler took the time to build a stronger rapport with his receivers outside of the standard practices.

Still, some continue to "believe Wilson still has work to do on his footwork and expressed lingering concerns about his ability to play within the structure of the offense," per Graziano.

As one example, Graziano cited Payton's desire for Wilson to "turn upfield and use his legs more when the play breaks down." Still, the 34-year-old would need to freelance "within the structure of Payton's offense" and avoid falling into old habits.

That perhaps runs in tandem with the skepticism about whether Wilson can be his old self at this point his career.

"Some injury stuff probably was real last year, but he has lost that athleticism and speed to make the plays that he used to make as far as extending the down for receivers to make plays down the field," one NFL personnel director said to The Athletic's Mike Sando. "He is still a capable passer, still a guy with a big arm, but I think he needs more things around him."

In an effort to show a level of confidence in his QB, Payton didn't hesitate to throw his predecessor under the bus. He told USA Today's Jarrett Bell that former Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett and his staff turned in what "might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL" in 2022.

Payton also argued the Broncos organization as a whole enabled Wilson too much to his own detriment.

The interview may have had the opposite of his intended effect, though.

New York Jets star Aaron Rodgers came to the defense of Hackett, who was his offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers and will operate in the same role with the Jets.

NBC Sports' Peter King spoke to another head coach who said Payton's criticism of Hackett "crosses the line" and that Payton "broke the code." King opined it may not have been a good idea to explicitly remind everyone of how Hackett isn't around anymore to be the scapegoat if Wilson's struggles continue.

Veteran quarterbacks typically get the benefit of the doubt in the offseason. They can go through the motions in training camp and get limited reps—if any—during the preseason, and few fans will bat an eye.

Wilson might have the opposite problem. Until the regular season kicks off, there may be little he can do to combat the perception he's on an irreversible decline.