The Denver Broncos- A Lesson in Futility

Leith Mascari, Staff Writer

In the months leading up to the 2022 season, the NFL adopted a new trend. Inspired by the successes of Sean McVay’s LA Rams as they took home the Lombardi Trophy, organizations across the country began building “Super Teams”. Popularized by the reigning champion Rams, Super Teams are characterized by massive trades, big free agent signings, and almost no rookies to speak of. 

The greatest concentration of this trend was in the Denver Broncos organization. While the AFC West has recently been dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs (with 6 straight division titles), the bottom-feeding Broncos made splashes all through the offseason. They traded multiple first round picks for QB Russell Wilson, and made trades and signings to improve their roster across the board, becoming the ultimate Super Team. Many believed the standings of the AFC West could entirely flip this season, with the Denver Broncos dominating and the Kansas City Chiefs finding themselves at the bottom. To quote Russell Wilson himself: “Broncos Country, Let’s Ride.”

Some things are just too good to be true.

Cut to the middle of the season, and it’s been status quo for the Broncos. Russell Wilson has been terrible, somehow being utterly outclassed in a league he used to dominate. Denver boasts one of the worst offenses in NFL history, the only team in the league to average less than 15 points per game. You’d see more scoring in a World Cup match. Per NFL.com, “The changes are sure to continue for the disappointing Broncos in the weeks and months to come.”

What on Earth happened? How could such a talented roster be performing so poorly?

Much of the blame falls on Nathaniel Hackett, the Broncos’ head coach. With so many new players, the onus was on Hackett to build a unified culture for the team, and he has crumbled spectacularly. Despite only coaching for just over half a season, Hackett is already on the hot seat. Per the Washington Post, “There is a mounting consensus that Hackett will not return [in 2023].”

Whatever the cause might be, the Denver Broncos have gone from one of the most promising teams in the NFL to completely unwatchable at 3-10.

The worst part of it all?

The Broncos can’t even celebrate with a high draft pick, since they traded it away for Russell Wilson.