Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb provides perspective on Russell Wilson’s down year - “He’s gotta sit there and take it”

Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in one of the biggest blockbuster moves of the 2022 NFL offseason. The deal was supposed to elevate the Broncos to become Super Bowl contenders. The superstar quarterback was considered the finishing piece to potentially bring them to the next level, as the rest of their roster was already strong.

Things didn't go as planned in Wilson's first year in Denver. The Broncos finished the 2022 NFL season with an extremely disappointing 5-12 record as Wilson struggled, having one of the worst statistical seasons of his entire career.

Former Broncos edge rusher Bradley Chubb, now with the Miami Dolphins, recently sat down with Tyreek Hill and Julius Collins on an episode of the "It Needed To Be Said" podcast. They discussed the massive amount of criticism Russell Wilson received after his failed first season in Denver.

Here's what Chubb had to say about the topic:

"He gets so much flack bro, but it's crazy bro. Cause he do the absolute most that he could possibly do to make sure he's the best he could possibly be. You know what I mean? It's like he doesn't miss a step. So, when he has a fluke year like this, bro you just got to chalk it up, right."

"You had a bad year, but it gets so glorified because of who he is, who he's been, and what he's done. 'I'm such on this pedestal that everybody want to knock me down.' I mean and that's how it is with him."

"So, he's got to sit there and take it, bro. And I kind of watched him do that, and it was dope to see that he just stayed the same person throughout it all. It just was unfortunate that we couldn't reach the potential that we all thought we was going to be."

Bradley Chubb was with Russell Wilson on the Broncos for a portion of the 2022 season before being traded to the Dolphins right before the NFL trade deadline. He was there to experience much of the trouble and saw firsthand how the star quarterback dealt with the enormous amount of criticism from the fans and the media.

How bad was Russell Wilson in 2022?

Russell Wilson spent the first decade of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks. He helped them make two Super Bowl appearances, winning the ring in one of them. His consistent production was always a big reason for their success, and his success is why the Denver Broncos were so excited to acquire him.

The 2022 NFL season, Russell Wilson's first in Denver, was the worst of his entire career by different measures. He posted career lows in completion percentage and passer rating while recording fewer than 20 touchdowns for the first time ever. The Broncos' 5-12 record is the worst ever by any Wilson-led team.

The franchise is hoping that the 2022 season will be labeled as an outlier in his career rather than the new normal for him. He will get a more favorable opportunity to bounce back in 2023 with head coach Sean Payton replacing Nathaniel Hackett.