Russell Wilson birthday party rumor fuels talk of tension among Broncos

Aug 13, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) before the preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The rumors of tension within the Denver Broncos’ locker room may have reached the point of no return.

Wilson celebrated his 34th birthday on Tuesday. His wife Ciara threw him a party, and it would stand to reason that all of Wilson’s teammates were invited. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS in Denver, only about half of the Broncos’ roster was in attendance.

There’s been some gossip about Russell Wilson’s standing in locker room. Here’s some context. Per source Wilson’s wife Ciara thru him a birthday party last night and “it looked like about half the team was there.” On player’s day off. Why do people have to be so hurtful? #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) November 30, 2022

Klis noted that Tuesday was an off day for the Broncos, but does any of this really mean a whole lot?

People miss parties all the time. There are a number of reasons Wilson’s teammates might have missed his birthday party, especially given that it was in the middle of the season on a Tuesday night — day off or not. That hardly means half of the team is so disgusted with Wilson that they did not bother to attend his special event.

Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett was asked on Wednesday about the talk that Wilson has “lost” some of his teammates. He insisted the locker room is still very much together.

Nathaniel Hackett when asked about an NFL Network report that Wilson has “lost” some in the locker room: “To me, it’s all gossip. We have a fantastic locker room. I’ve never seen somebody work that hard and try to embrace a team like he has.”

— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) November 30, 2022

“To me, it’s all gossip. We have a fantastic locker room,” Hackett said. “I’ve never seen somebody work that hard and try to embrace a team like he has.”

The Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the NFL all season. Their offense, which is now averaging just 14.3 points per game, remains the worst in the NFL. One defensive player was seen shouting at Wilson during Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers (video here). That led to more speculation that there is an internal rift with the team.

Wilson insisted a month ago that there is no division within Denver’s locker room. Even if there were issues, he would never admit it.