The AFC West got a lot tougher on Monday afternoon when the Denver Broncos traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
The news came just hours after it was reported that Aaron Rodgers would be returning to Green Bay. Rodgers had been linked to Denver dating back to last year. It would almost seem as if the Broncos had a contingency plan in place to trade for Wilson if Rodgers didn’t choose Denver.
Finally, though, the Broncos were able to land the big fish they were trying for at quarterback with Wilson. I’m not going to declare a winner or loser from the trade because I’m a firm believer you just have to wait and see. Everyone else already seems to think Seattle got fleeced, but what if Wilson falls off a cliff and the Seahawks nail a few of the draft picks they got in the deal? That changes things drastically.
However, regardless of the consensus opinion on Wilson he has to be considered an upgrade for the Broncos at quarterback and Denver just became a more difficult opponent. The roster was already strong but it was lacking a competent quarterback. Wilson is more than competent.
How does Russell Wilson trade impact KC Chiefs?
Now that Denver is employing Wilson, it means that the Kansas City Chiefs have to nail this offseason and it only emphasizes their needs. For example, we know the defensive line needs work after watching last season’s frustrating pass rush. With Wilson now on the other side for at least two games a year, you have to be able to get after him and start generating more pressure. With multiple key free agents in the secondary, the Chiefs also need to execute a plan to bolster their pass defense because Wilson is one of the most accurate passers the league has ever seen—and he’s now on a division rival.
In the past, the Chiefs got away with playing a lot of mediocre football against Denver, but it didn’t really matter because the Broncos were so bad on offense without a real quarterback. Again, the talent in just about every other department was already there and the Denver defense was one of the only ones that consistently gave Mahomes and the Chiefs some trouble.
What if the offense were to stall again like they did several times last year? Would the Chiefs be able to recover as easily with Wilson leading the Broncos offense opposed to Teddy Bridgewater? That makes a move like getting a WR2 even more important now because you’re going to have to score a lot of points just to win the division let alone the AFC. The best way to ensure the offense is a well-oiled machine again is to find that third playmaker this offseason.
I’m not going to act like the Broncos are this unstoppable force with Wilson or even that they’re the second best team in the division. However, the road for the Chiefs to continue their reign in the division became tougher on Monday. There’s no arguing that. I also can’t act like that this move doesn’t change the trajectory at all, that there’s nothing to worry about at all. I envy some people in that way.
That kind of mentality when other teams were improving last year led the Chiefs into digging themselves into a hole early in 2021, and there was a point late in the season when the Chargers had a chance to steal the division from the Chiefs. As the division and the AFC gets harder, the margin for error gets smaller.
We knew the Broncos were going to try to improve at quarterback this offseason, though. There was no chance that they were going to roll with Drew Lock or another journeyman quarterback again next season. The Chiefs knew a move like this was coming down the pipe at some point. This just means there is an increased importance that the Chiefs nail this offseason and do what they need to do on each side of the all to offset Denver’s acquisition. They aren’t “just the Broncos” anymore.