Russell Wilson has been facing a difficult time with the media recently. First, his charity is ousted for not being charitable enough. Then, is accused of wanting his head coach and GM fired, back in his Seattle Seahawks days. Now, an anonymous Broncos coaching staff claims that the staff was not at all happy with the “special treatment” Wilson received. In particular, the permission to have a personal set of staff.
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Wilson signed one of the most extravagant deals with the Broncos last pre-season when the Seahawks traded him for a bunch of draft picks. However, all that money failed to make things better, as the Broncos slipped to a 5-12 record last season. What’s more, Wilson recorded career-worst statistics in pass completion and touchdowns, while getting sacked a record 55 times in the season.
Broncos staff was unhappy with the special treatment Russell Wilson received
Per ‘The Athletic‘, Wilson had informed Broncos’ GM George Paton about his intentions to hire a personal team consisting of coaches, therapists, and even a nutritionist. Wilson allegedly pressed Paton to allow his team into the facility, saying it was “essential” for him. Apparently, then head coach Nathaniel Hackett approved of Wilson’s request, though most of the other staff were not very pleased.
Another thing that staff despised about Wilson, is the fact that he had an office to himself. According to the source, Wilson’s office was on the second floor of the facility, typically reserved for coaches and executives. What’s more, he apparently told his teammates he had an ‘open door policy’. Prompting the coach to remark, “Are you a coach or are you a player? Your open door should be you sitting at your locker.”
Wilson’s teammates apparently had no problems with his special privileges
While the anonymous staff may reflect the attitude of the Staff, Wilson seems to have a lot of support from his teammates. Wide receiver Kendall Hinton says, “He’s got a whiteboard, the sides of the wall, and it’s just littered with (motivational) quotes and new play concepts. It was crazy to see his mind thrown out on the (wall).”
Former running back Melvin Gordon said that Wilson’s office was “strictly football”. He says, “Anybody could go to his office. And he was like, ‘Hey if you want to learn extra plays, you want to go over this. You want to go over that?’”. Clearly, Wilson’s privileges were seen as deserved by his teammates. Though if those privileges will last anymore, is a legitimate doubt.
Sean Payton’s arrival in Denver has brought a slew of changes to the Broncos. For starters, the former Saints’ head coach said that he will not have anyone other than players and the team staff in the facility. He also said that he will be holding every player, including Wilson, to his standards of performance. It seems increasingly likely that Payton will not be happy with Wilson having an office of his own.
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