Denver Broncos Locker Room Sounds Off in Reaction to Russell Wilson’s Demotion

Let’s check the temperature of the Denver Broncos locker room in the wake of Russell Wilson’s benching.

The sun has set on Russell Wilson’s tenure in the Mile High City, but rest assured, he’s looking forward to rising again elsewhere. Depending on who and what you believe as it relates to this unfortunate saga, things have undoubtedly got messy over the Denver Broncos’ decision to bench Wilson.

As Gary Kubiak liked to say, we’re ‘fixin’ to find out’ whether the Broncos locker room will rally around Jarrett Stidham, or simply look ahead to their pending vacations this offseason.

The Broncos’ veteran leaders, like right tackle Mike McGlinchey, will have to hold the line to avoid being perceived as tapping out on their 2023 campaign. When McGlinchey spoke with Denver Sports‘ Andrew Mason, he conveyed his support for the dethroned Wilson while acknowledging the cruel business of the NFL dictates the Broncos must forge ahead.

“It’s a really tough deal. Because there’s nobody that wants to be great more than Russell,” McGlinchey told Mason. “And I think the work ethic that he has and the toughness he has has really rubbed off on me and rubbed off on a lot of people in this building. So, yeah, as a friend and as a guy that’s been with him for the last year or so, yeah, you want to reach out and support him as best you can. But we also know that we all have a job to do, and this is a business that requires you to do that job no matter what, and that’s what we’re gonna go do on Sunday against the Chargers.”

One might assume that starting tight end Adam Troutman’s long-standing links to Sean Payton would have him standing firmly in the head coach’s corner, relative to the controversy of benching Wilson, but NFL locker rooms don’t really work that way. For now, the former New Orleans Saints tight end remains fully focused on the business still at hand.

“I think this is, like I said, the nature of the business, and you just kind of roll with it,” Troutman said via Mason. “Anything could happen at any point, and you’ve kind of got to block out all the—whatever you think is affecting the team in whatever way, whether it’s coming from outside, inside—it doesn’t matter. You’ve just got to block it out and keep rolling.” 

Of course, it’s Stidham who stands to benefit the most from Wilson’s shocking demotion to the backup role. Quarterbacks have an exclusive fraternity of their own, so it was really no surprise to find the new starter tipping his cap to Wilson before he took command.

“Look, I can’t speak highly enough of Russ. Tremendous teammate, tremendous competitor,” Stidham said Wednesday of Wilson. “I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to be around some incredible human beings and incredible quarterbacks, and he obviously fits that category, so today has obviously been a tough day, but we’ve had a great interaction today, and that sort of thing. Like I said, I can’t speak highly enough about him.”

Given how long the rumors of contractual discontent have been rumbling behind the scenes at Dove Valley, Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy’s admission that everyone was shocked to learn of Wilson’s benching should be taken with a grain of salt.

“I was pretty surprised. He (Payton) just told us out of nowhere,” Jeudy said via Mason. “So, I was pretty surprised having Russ our starting quarterback the whole year, then the last two games, there’s been a switch, so I think it was a surprise to everyone in the locker room.”

Star cornerback Patrick Surtain II offered a quiet sort of stoicism when asked about Wilson’s benching at the podium on Thursday, though he did compliment the quarterback. 

“There’s changes that will be made throughout the season,” Surtain said. “Obviously, I can’t really put my input about it. I feel like, in general, it was a team move. I just think, in general, Russ is one of the hardest workers I know. He’s a great player… I guess that’s the the move we’ll go with moving forward, so I can’t say much about it.” 

Similarly, safety Justin Simmons offered support for Wilson, who he described as an “amazing person” and a “great teammate,” while also complimenting Stidham. 

“Whenever choices like this are made, I believe my first thought is, ‘What could I have done better to help?'” In a way, you never want to see someone lose their job,” Simmons remarked. Therefore, from a defensive standpoint, I only wish there had been more that we could have done to assist. You’ve got a fantastic colleague in Russ. As you can all see, he’s been an incredible person. By no means is this the end for him. Having said that, I have no doubt that Stidham will do admirably. He’s been performing admirably in practices, as Coach Payton said you all to hear. Of course, I got to see him for a brief while last year when he played with Vegas. It’s a tough thing, and you hate to see it.” 

Focusing on this Sunday’s home finale vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, the outcome could be intensified should the Broncos win and the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2023 Broncos, believe it or not, still have much to play for, even if their playoff hopes are outside of their control. 

Wilson’s demotion is part and parcel of how the Broncos find ways every season to offer up one juicy storyline after another. Stay tuned.