“Damn, they did this to Russ on his birthday?” – NFL fans clown Russell Wilson after league moved to flex Chiefs vs Broncos out of primetime

By Bethany Cohen

Published Nov 30, 2022 18:13 GMT

Denver Broncos v Carolina Panthers — The Denver Broncos game against the Kansas City Chiefs was flexed out of primetime for a more favorful matchup.

Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos game against the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime on Sunday, December 11 was flexed out by the National Football League. The league can do so, especially towards the end of the season when a better matchup can be featured in primetime.

In this case, the NFL decided that Los Angeles Chargers vs. the Miami Dolphins was a more competitive game and would essentially produce more viewers on a Sunday night.

Flexing the time of a game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and star players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce seems unheard of to most. But, in this case, with the way both teams' seasons are currently playing out, not the most entertaining matchup of the day.

This is also due to the constant complaints from NFL fans who were forced to watch Russell Wilson and the Broncos in primetime nearly every week at the start of the season.

On Monday night, following the announcement of the game change, fans turned to Twitter. A lot of people were making jokes about the Broncos quarterback and his team's 3-8 record this season.

Some were quick to realize that the announcement was made on Monday, which happened to be Wilson's 34th birthday. Others said that they didn't want "Russ to cook" on Sunday night in primetime, a nod to the phrase that was once used to describe the quarterback's play.

Russell Wilson has apparently 'lost' the locker room

After another disappointing loss on Sunday that saw some of his teammates fuming, Russell Wilson has apparently lost his Denver Broncos locker room. According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, the Broncos quarterback has lost the locker room.

On a recent episode of "The Insiders," Pelissero said that head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who is coaching his first season, still has the respect of his team. But it's quarterback Russell Wilson that has apparently rubbed some people the wrong way.

Whether the Denver Broncos will part ways with their first-year head coach remains to be seen. Parting ways with the quarterback isn't that easy, considering the $107 million dead salary cap space that will accrue if the Broncos want to part ways with the quarterback after just his first season with the team.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

Know More