18 August 2023 , 17:17
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Last season the Denver Broncos were the offseason storyline to follow in the NFL with Russell Wilson arriving with the franchise after a huge trade with the Seattle Seahawks - what followed was a miserable season nobody had anticipated.
Wilson had by far the worst year of his career last season, as the Broncos finished 5-12, fired first year head coach Nathaniel Hackett and put up what many regarded as the most disappointed offense in the league.
The Broncos are in need of a much improved 2023-24 NFL season, and Wilson is looking to get back to his best this year in Denver, under new head coach and offensive playcaller Sean Payton.
Seen as one of the best offensive minds in the sport, Payton has built an offense around Wilson - and it's one they hope gets the best out the quarterback who has been on the decline in the last three seasons.
But the former Super Bowl winner believes he knows that to get back to his best, he needs to work to his team's advantages.
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Wilson told reporters: "The biggest thing is trying to get the ball to our playmakers’ hands, in whatever way that is.
"We’ve got a lot of ways to do that. Coach Payton really knows how to do that and dial it up. I think that it’s all coming together and we’re working our butts off."
With so much promised last season after the team traded for Wilson, the Broncos only managed five wins despite having one of the top-ranked defenses in the league - a sign of just how much Wilson and the offense struggled.
Wilson will look to get the ball out of his hands quickly to his receivers (Getty Images)This led to former head coach Hackett losing his job after 15 games, eventually being replaced by Payton - widely regarded as one of the best coaches of this generation.
And if Payton will have any chance of succeeding with the team, he must get help Wilson improve - after he signed a huge five-year, $245 million (£192m) deal soon after his arrival in Denver.
Despite a poor first game in preseason, Payton has spoken positively on Wilson's progression from last year.
He said: "He's a perfect fit for where we are right now, where the Broncos are right now. Obviously, he has a lot of skins on the wall. He won a Super Bowl before and won a ton of football games. I don’t think there could have been a better fit. I think he will be great.
"It’s going to take some time with a new system, new coaches, even though the spring was very good. The expectations are up there. But they have calmed the expectations compared to last year, which is good. We have to do better with injuries. Hopefully, we can stay healthy."