Russell Wilson weight loss fails to move Saints Super Bowl champion - “It’s a huge storyline”

Russell Wilson will enter the 2023 NFL season looking to bounce back strong after a disastrous campaign last year. In his first year with the Denver Broncos after being traded by Seattle Seahawks, he put together the worst numbers of his entire career by several different measures.

His situation is much different this year, especially with head coach Sean Payton replacing Nathaniel Hackett. Wilson has also reportedly lost weight during his offseason training program and claims to be in better shape than he was last year.

Chase Daniel recently appeared on an episode of "Up & Adams" to discuss what all of these changes could mean for Wilson in the 2023 NFL season:

“It’s gonna be the Saints offense. It’s gonna be the Chargers offense. So how well is he gonna pick it up in terms of Russell Wilson. Russell and Drew have some similarities, of course they’re both 6 feet. But their insatiably appetite for competing, and that’s what Sean Payton wants. Sean is gonna get the absolute most out of him.

"Obviously Russell’s last year is talked about. He was hurt last year. He was injured. He’s healthy now. They said he’s shed 12-13 pounds. I don’t know what that’s gonna do. It’s a huge storyline, I don’t know what that’s gonna do with his play.”

Chase Daniel knows Sean Payton better than most, serving as a backup quarterback for Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints. He draws an interesting comparison between Drew Brees and Russell Wilson, specifically their size and competitiveness. Daniel believes that Wilson is exactly what Payton was looking for when he came out of retirement to continue coaching.

Wilson's weight loss has also been noteworthy during the 2023 NFL offseason. The quarterback apparently believes that this will help with his athleticism and mobility as he looks to bounce back this year. While it's unclear at this point if that will help him moving forward, it can't hurt considering how terrible his 2022 season was.

How bad was Russell Wilson in 2022?

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson had the worst year of his entire career during the 2022 NFL season. He set new career-lows in different statistical categories, including completion percentage, touchdowns and passer rating. His 11 interceptions were his second-most ever and he was also sacked a career-high 55 times.

Wilson's struggles were a big reason why the Denver Broncos were never in contention for a spot in the NFL Playoffs last year. His 4-11 record as a starter last season was also worse than any of his 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks.