Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson did not play in the team’s preseason opener last week and he’s not expected to play in the team’s second preseason game on Saturday. It’s starting to look like he might not play in preseason at all this summer.
On Thursday, Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten seemed to confirm that the team doesn’t want to risk injury to Wilson in an exhibition game.
“He always wants to be out there,” Outten said. “You saw him warming up [last week]. He loves this game; he loves this team. Any opportunity that he could step inside the white lines, it’s a privilege.
“He realizes that every time you put a helmet on you don’t know what’s going to happen the next play. He really loves his game, and that’s what we love about him. But yeah, we’re not going to do that.”
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills — Denver’s opponent on Saturday — are expected to play most of their starters, potentially including outside linebacker Von Miller. That will be a tough test for the Broncos’ backup offensive linemen.
“Facing starters — it’s a great measuring stick for some guys with their first time in the league or first time in the system,” Outten said. “We’ll see how it plays out. Playing there last year, they had a bunch of starters in as well. It was a really good test for us to see where we were before the season.”
On defense, Denver’s backup defenders will face Bills star quarterback Josh Allen, an MVP favorite going into the 2022 season.
“It’s a great opportunity for them to play against the best — Josh Allen, some of those receivers and linemen,” defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said. “They should all relish that opportunity.”
Saturday’s game will be nationally televised on NFL Network.
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