After moving on from the Russell Wilson era in Denver, the Broncos might have struck a chord with their rookie QB Bo Nix. Joining the Broncos as their 12th overall draft pick, Nix is expected to fill the gap at QB that hasn’t been adequately filled since Peyton Manning played at Mile High End. Moreover, the expectations are greater than ever after the Broncos took a $85 million dead salary cap hit by choosing to release Wilson after just two years of his tenure.

As the rookie QB impressed in his preseason games against the Colts and Packers, the Broncos have found their QB1 going into the new season. Praising Nix on his start to the Broncos’ tenure, his teammate Mike McGlinchey had an interesting take while speaking to the reporters. “I think he has come in and been authentically himself, and I think that’s all you can ask for from him and for us. He doesn’t have to be somebody that he’s not just because he’s the superstar quarterback of an NFL franchise,” McGlinchey stated.

It seems the Broncos tackle had referred to Wilson’s time at Mile High End, which ended in a disaster. However, it is not the first time McGlinchey has expressed his distaste for Wilson. Before signing with the Broncos alongside Russ in 2022, McGlinchey used to play for the 49ers. And admitting to his thoughts, he said, “For the longest time, I really couldn’t stand Russell because of how many times he beat us.”

Well, Russell was a different beast during his Seattle days as he maintained a record of 4-17 against the then-49ers tackle McGlinchey. But after signing for the Broncos in a blockbuster deal that was worth $242.6 million in 2022, everything went downhill. As the Broncos finished last in their AFC West group while having a record of 5-12.

To make matters worse, Wilson was sacked for a career-high 55 times, thereby struggling to get a foothold in his new chapter. Eventually, Wilson was released from the Broncos next season after getting sacked 100 times in 30 games. Now, the 35-year-old is trying to get back to form after signing for the Steelers in a one-year veteran deal worth $1.2 million.

Russell Wilson’s start to Steelers tenure

Signing for the Steelers Nation, the nine-time Pro Bowler has a lot to prove after he finished last season with 26 TDs, eight interceptions and 45 sacks to his name. On the back of such unimpressive stats, Wilson played his first preseason game for the Steelers. However, the former Seahawks QB ended up leading only five scoring drives and completed just 8-of-10 passes for 47 yards. But most importantly, Wilson was sacked three times, while failing to find the end zone against the Bills.

Well, Wilson getting sacked isn’t anything new for a certain franchise that seemed to have cheered the nine-time Pro Bowler going down. When the Broncos were playing against the Packers during timeout, the Steelers and Bills preseason highlights were shown at Mile High End. As Broncos beat Lindsay Jones reported, “We just got some Steelers-Bills highlights during the timeout, and there were some mild cheers when they showed Russell Wilson getting sacked.”

It seems like the Broncos faithful haven’t forgotten the horror show Wilson played during his two years in Denver. But can Russ re-discover his confidence after getting the QB1 nod over Justin Fields in Pittsburgh? As fans, we would just have to wait as Wilson will get his chance for revenge when the Steelers travel to Denver in their week 2 encounter at Empower Field.