ENGLEWOOD, Colo — Russell Wilson will be younger Wednesday when he turns 35 years old than he was a year ago when he was turning 34.
That's what his performance says.
Anyone who watched Wilson play this season compared to how he was playing at this time last season knows this is true, strange as it reads.
“My goal is to play 10 to 12 more years and hopefully win three or four more Super Bowls,’’ Wilson said at his Broncos introductory press conference in March 2022.
Through the 11th game of his first season in Denver, as Wilson was about to celebrate his 34th birthday with many of his teammates, his stated goal was mocked. Age seemed to have slowed him. He had just 8 touchdown passes against 5 interceptions as he was ranked near the bottom among the league’s passers. He had taken 32 sacks in 10 games – he missed one game with a hamstring injury – and the Broncos were 3-8, in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Through the 11th game this season, as Wilson is about to mark his 35th birthday Wednesday with practice along with all of his teammates, he is playing like he has a good five more years left in him. Which happens to be how much he has left on his Broncos contract after this season.
He has 20 touchdown passes against just 4 interceptions to rank No. 5 among the league’s passers. There are still a few too many sacks – 32 in 11 games – but he has more rushing production this season – 266 yards with six more games to go when he had 277 rushing yards all of last season. The Broncos are 6-5 with a five-game winning streak heading into his 35th birthday Wednesday and road game Sunday against the Houston Texans.
Broncos shut out from HOF semifinalists
The Pro Football Hall of Fame narrowed its modern-era candidates Tuesday from 173 nominees to 25 semifinalists for the class of 2024. No Broncos made the cut, so senior nominee Randy Gradishar will be Denver's lone representative at the final HOF voting tables in February when he is certain to be elected prior to the Super Bowl.
Among the Broncos’ nominees who didn’t make the cut: Receivers Rod Smith, Brandon Marshall, Wes Welker; all-purpose back/returner Glyn Milburn; offensive linemen Tom Nalen and Mark Schlereth; middle linebacker Al Wilson and kicker Jason Elam.
Jamaal Charles, Dre’ Bly, Simeon Rice and Jamal Williams were other nominees who played briefly with the Broncos and didn’t make the cut.
The most disappointing omissions were Nalen and Smith. Both were part of the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams in 1997-98. Nalen, a center, is the best offensive lineman in Broncos history and Smith to this day remains the franchise’s leading receiver.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports