LONDON — Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said “barring any setbacks” he expects quarterback Russell Wilson to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Wembley Stadium.
Wilson missed last Sunday’s game against the New York Jets with a hamstring injury.
“Barring any setbacks we’re hoping to see Russell out there,” Hackett said after Friday’s practice.
Asked if Wilson had practiced Friday without limitations, Hackett said: “Correct, no limitations … we want to see him get out there and be successful.”
Wilson has said since the team arrived in London Tuesday that he expected to play.
“I feel great, ready to roll,” is how Wilson put it after Wednesday’s practice. ” … Hopefully get a big win in London … I feel great, ready to rock.”
Wilson suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and when he did not play in the loss to the Jets this past Sunday, it was just the fourth start of his career he had missed. Brett Rypien started for the Broncos in last week’s 16-9 loss.
Wilson has already been receiving treatment for a partial muscle tear near his right shoulder since the team’s Oct. 2 loss in Las Vegas. Wilson had said earlier this week he went as far as to do some of his rehab exercises on the team’s flight from Denver to London.
“I was doing treatment on the plane, everybody else was knocked out and I was walking up and down the aisles, high knees, working on my legs, making sure I was ready to rock,” Wilson said,
Hackett has said the benchmark for Wilson to play would be the quarterback’s ability to “protect himself” and move to get out of trouble. Hackett said after Friday’s practice Wilson had cleared that benchmark to this point in the week.
“Russell is always going to think he can go,” Hackett said. “That’s what you love about the guy … for us we wanted to be sure we gave him time, time to get his mind right, body right everything. Just being out here watching him throw, watching him move in the pocket, you felt a lot more comfortable with him than last week.”
The Broncos (2-5) have lost four in a row, are currently last in the league in scoring (14.3 points per game), last in red zone offense, last in goal-to-go situations as well as 30th on third down.
Wilson has thrown five touchdown passes in his six starts to go with three interceptions.