Shortly before the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, defensive end Derek Wolfe signed an extension, taking a discount in the process. Nearly three years later, he’s doing some second-guessing while not-so-subtly blasting Denver’s brass.
At the time, he assumed that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and many other key defenders would also stay. Wolfe also believed the team’s quarterback situation wouldn’t regress so dramatically following the retirement of Peyton Manning.
Why Derek Wolfe took less to stay in Denver … https://t.co/5z4peUuqc6 pic.twitter.com/CaEEC51X1q
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 13, 2018
Things changed.
Phillips left the Broncos one year after winning the Super Bowl. Some of the key defenders from that team have also gone. The quarterback situation in Denver has been rough, as well. Trevor Siemian took the job following Manning’s retirement and had two shaky seasons. Case Keenum was signed in this past offseason to be the franchise quarterback. The results of that have been mixed.
The Broncos missed the playoffs in each of the two seasons after winning the Super Bowl. Barring a miracle, that streak will extend to three.
But despite that, Wolfe claims that he wouldn’t have done anything differently knowing what he knows now.
Asked if he would have done anything differently had he known what was coming, Wolfe said: “No, because I am where I am. I’m happy. If we were winning I’d be real happy.”
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 13, 2018
That may be. But he’s obviously dealing with plenty of frustration, too.