How Russell Wilson’s Broncos offense will mimic early Seattle days

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports Writer

New Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett was direct when asked what he wants to see from his new starting quarterback. 

“It’s all about just the command of the system,” Hackett told reporters during offseason work. “We want to build this thing completely around him, make sure he’s completely comfortable and watch him come alive.” 

In other words, this will be Russell Wilson‘s offense. 

To that end, Hackett spent the spring and early summer acclimating Wilson to the offense he’s bringing over from his time in Green Bay coaching quarterback Aaron Rodgers, working to transition his new signal-caller to the scheme and new personnel. 

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For Wilson, it seems like a stark change from his former team’s reliance on a bruising running game and a rugged defense to win a Super Bowl. 

Wilson and Seattle coach Pete Carroll later clashed over control and direction of the offense, reportedly leading to the departure of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer a year ago. The Seahawks brought in OC Shane Waldron, but the disconnect between Wilson and Carroll remained, and Seattle decided to part ways with the QB via a blockbuster trade with the Broncos in March. 

Whatever the reasons for his exit in Seattle, Wilson says he’s the same guy who’s all about stacking wins and going to Super Bowls. 

“One thing I always believed in is that it’s a lifestyle,” Wilson said. “You have to make your whole entire being and thought process about winning and being successful. And with that comes great opportunities but also great challenges — and how you manage that and think about it. 

“I have an amazing team. My performance team always comes with me wherever I go, and my assistant helps with everything. Everybody is super organized, so there’s never wasted space.” 

Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III, who played with Wilson at Wisconsin, calls it a “winner’s aura.”

“It’s just that winner’s mindset,” Gordon said. “He’s always been like that. The first time I met him, when he came to Wisconsin, I was like, ‘Man, he’s just got that winner’s aura.’ And he just carries that with him.” 

Wilson said that during the last few weeks before training camp opens, he will spend time with his pass catchers training in San Diego. But the always busy Wilson has not been twiddling his thumbs. 

He gave the commencement speech at Dartmouth College, the alma mater of his father, Harrison Wilson. Russell and wife Ciara also traveled to Europe, taking in a tennis match at Wimbledon and checking out a Formula 1 race in Monaco. 

Wilson and Ciara even attended an Ed Sheeran concert with Hackett and his wife, Megan, at Wembley Stadium, working to create that closeness between coach and QB. 

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After five consecutive losing seasons, the addition of Wilson has created a buzz in the Mile High City. Denver’s new quarterback is No. 1 in NFL jersey sales. He has already hosted a passing academy for youth football players in Colorado. 

Wilson also said he carves out time to spend with the most recent quarterback to lead this franchise to a Super Bowl title: Peyton Manning. 

“Obviously, the thing Peyton and I both love is football,” Wilson told reporters last month. “We could spend all day just watching football together. And so that’s what we were able to do, spend a little time together. And we’ll do more as we go. 

“It’s fun to be around arguably the world’s greatest ever to play that position. So, to be able to learn, ask questions — and he’s asking me questions, that’s the fun part. Obviously, you’ve got John Elway here, too. So, you have two of the greatest guys ever to play the game right in your midst.” 

The Broncos have a new owner in Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune. Walton’s team will have to eventually make Wilson one of the top-paid quarterbacks in the game to keep him happy, something the Broncos understood when they traded multiple picks and three players to secure the 33-year-old’s services back in March. 

In the meantime, with play-making receivers Cortland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick and an improved offensive line, the Broncos are set up to be much better on offense in 2022. 

But Wilson is the star who stirs the drink in Hackett’s new offense. And in a stacked AFC West, the Broncos will need to be hitting on all cylinders come Week 1, which for Denver happens to be a Monday night game at Seattle.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting time,” Wilson said about facing his former team. “Obviously, Seattle has meant the world to me over the last 10 years. It’s a special place to play at Lumen Field. I have a high regard to all of those guys there and what they do. I think for me it’s not emotional. You have to be non-emotional, to be able to go into it and understand that it’s just ball.” 

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What will Denver’s offense look like with Wilson at the helm? Interestingly, it may look a lot like the offense Wilson was successful running early in his tenure with the Seahawks, when they were Super Bowl contenders. 

And just like with Seattle back then, the Broncos have one of the top defenses in the league, with safety Justin Simmons, cornerback Patrick Surtain II and edge rusher Bradley Chubb. 

Expect the Broncos to lean on outside zone runs led by the one-two punch of Javonte Williams and Gordon in the backfield, setting up the play-action pass game to take deep shots down the field. Wilson remains one of the best deep-ball throwers in the game. 

Along with that, Wilson is clear of the injuries that limited his mobility during his last few years in Seattle. With Wilson reinvigorated and in good health, Hackett will use the QB’s ability to get outside the pocket and create those second reaction plays he became known for during his early years in Seattle.

“We always want the guys to be ready to extend plays,” Hackett told reporters during offseason work. “He’s got so much tape in his past, where sometimes plays don’t work out the way we want them to as a coach, and he makes you look good by running around.

“Even if there’s a potential for a sack in that moment, you never know with him. So we want to try and extend it, and we want to push those DBs back there to have to continually cover.” 

So maybe it’s not such a stark change for Wilson. But there is one major difference: For the first time, Wilson has a young, offensive guru as a head coach. The son of longtime NFL coach Paul Hackett, 42-year-old Nathaniel Hackett and Wilson are effectively molding their vision for how they see the offense operating on game day.

“He just brings great energy,” Wilson told reporters about Hackett during offseason work. “He’s young. He’s vibrant. He brings an intelligence to the game. Obviously, he’s got a great pedigree. And he wants to win, too. Our relationship is really tight.” 

Sounds like they’re ready for Seattle.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.