Russell Wilson rubbed some Broncos coaches the wrong way during his first season in Denver.
According to The Athletic, Wilson — who signed a five-year, $245 million extension with the Broncos before ever playing a regular-season game for them — received special treatment that didn’t go over well among members of the staff.
Wilson, 34, had informed Broncos general manager George Paton that he planned to hire a staff separate from team employees, which included his personal quarterback coach Jake Heaps, a physical therapist and a nutritionist. Wilson also reportedly expressed why it was essential to have his staff inside the team facility, which is typically reserved for team personnel.
The Athletic also noted that the agreement was approved by former head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
“No one else I have been around has ever been able to have those people in there – which, looking back on it, not a good idea,” a member of the 2022 Broncos coaching staff said, per The Athletic.
Some veteran players had no problem with the setup, however.
“He’s got a whiteboard, the sides of the wall, and it’s just littered with (motivational) quotes and new play concepts,” said wide receiver Kendall Hinton, who caught 24 passes for 311 yards this season. “It was crazy to see his mind thrown out on the (wall).”
Former Broncos running back Melvin Gordon added Wilson’s office — which was on the second floor of the facility, same as other Broncos executives and coaches — was used for “strictly football.”
“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?'” Gordon said.
However, the location of Wilson’s office reportedly caused some issues.
“The players were always on the first floor; they never really came up to the second floor,” one anonymous coach told the outlet. “If you came up to the second floor as a player, it honestly wasn’t a good thing because you were probably getting released.”
One offensive player alleged that Wilson told teammates his office had an “open-door policy.” One coach indicated to The Athletic that this caused an unusual dynamic.
“So, are you a coach or are you a player? Your open door should be you sitting at your locker,” the coach said.
Wilson completed 60.5 percent of his passes and threw 16 touchdowns in 2022, the lowest marks of his career, while throwing for 3,524 yards and 11 interceptions. He was also sacked a career-high 55 times.
Hackett, now the Jets’ offensive coordinator, didn’t last one full season in Denver, getting fired 15 games into a 5-12 campaign.