Why it’s no big deal that Russell Wilson has an entourage with him

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos didn’t just trade for Russell Wilson in March. They traded for everyone who helps make the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback go.

A personal quarterback guru, Jake Heaps. Nutrition and fitness experts. Marketing and digital-media specialists. It’s part of what Wilson has had for years, helping him stay in shape and attend to the myriad responsibilities a quarterback faces.

Their presence is nothing new. And it’s not even unusual for quarterbacks in this day and age.

Granted, Team Russ is a bit bigger than what exists for many players who have friends and experts in their orbit. And it’s a bit different than the long-accepted practice among some teams of having specialists travel with the club on the dime of players who pool resources to ensure that their experts are in the traveling party.

But the gist is the same — to give the player whatever he needs to succeed.

“First and foremost, this game, to be able to have a quarterback playing at a high level, it takes a whole family,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said.

It works well for Tom Brady — although it wasn’t without friction in the New England organization as time passed.

And for the Broncos, this was part of the deal to which they agreed. After six seasons on the quarterback carousel, they were dizzy. The consistency and certainty of Wilson and how he elevated the entire operation means that you accept what he needs to succeed as part of the deal.

“I think Russ has done a great job surrounding himself with a great support group. They’re all great people. We know them well. And as we move forward, those are things that we’re just going to work through and discuss what’s best for the team. But I want Russ to be playing at a very high level.

“So, I want him to have everything that he needs to be able to get to that [level] he needs.”

Whatever it takes.

To be certain, much has changed about the NFL over the decades. One thing that hasn’t: Some clubs will do whatever it takes to succeed — and others won’t. What those actions are evolves over time.

In the 1980s, that meant capitalizing on the pre-salary cap era and spending. It isn’t a coincidence that between 1981 and 1991, San Francisco and Washington won seven of the 11 Super Bowls played. For their owners, Eddie DeBartolo and Jack Kent Cooke, money was no object.

The 1994 implementation of the salary cap meant that the differences couldn’t come from contracts as often as they came from investing in ancillary areas. The 49ers, for example, became the first team to always use widebody planes for team travel. They were also the first to pony up to give every player his own room on the road. When Mike Shanahan returned to Denver in 1995 as head coach after a three-year stint on the 49ers’ staff, he insisted on giving each player his own room, having seen the benefits.

In 2022, that extra means accommodating a quarterback whose resume screams, “Hall of Fame.” You ensure that he has everything necessary.

“It’s not uncommon in this league nowadays for players to have certain parts of their team [in the building on a day-to-day basis] — and he’s got a great team,” Broncos general manager George Paton said.

“They’re very collaborative. They’re very respectful of any boundaries that we have, and really, they’re become part of the Bronco family … We’re all about winning, and if it’s going to help us win, we’re all for it.”

And if there is a problem? If what Team Russ wants conflicts with what the Broncos’ staff suggests?

Yes, these are valid questions. But Paton isn’t worried about any issues lingering, in part because their goals are mutual.

“We’ll work through that,” Paton said. “It’s been very collaborative, very transparent with the team, with us. It’s been seamless. And we don’t foresee any issues with this group.”

And the Broncos understand that they go nowhere without Wilson being at his peak. Just as the Buccaneers signed Brady in 2020, knowing that he brought an entire team of TB12 Method people.

You take the entourage.

Sure, you wouldn’t be this accommodating for just any player. But Wilson isn’t just another player. He’s a quarterback, and he’s headed for Canton.

And as long as Wilson holds up his end of the deal — to play well, to be diligent in his study, detail-oriented in his craft and generous with his time and accumulated wisdom to his teammates — you say, “Yes,” to whatever he needs.

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