Bad Christmas: Russell Wilson In Line To Start Broncos Next Game

Broncos fans have a Christmas gift coming their way and it's going to make a new pair of socks or a scratchy homemade sweater look like a brand-new Buick with an oversized bow on top of it.

Broncos Country: Russell Wilson is ready to ride this Christmas.

Wilson had a scary moment during the Bronco's Week 14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. After making contact with the ground, it looked like Wilson briefly lost consciousness.

Wilson managed to clear concussion protocol on Friday, but the team decided to start Brett Rypien in his place.

This led to speculation that the team would bench Wilson — who is in his first year of a 5-year, $242 million deal — for the last three games of the season.

That seemed even more plausible after Rypien led the team to a 24-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals while deputizing for the injured Wilson.

However, that won't be the case according to Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Hackett Says Wilson Will Start On Christmas Day

Hacket says Wilson will start in the Broncos' Christmas Day meeting with the Los Angeles Rams.

“Russell is going to be playing next week, but I thought Brett did a really good job,” the coach said.

Hackett did play alright. He went 21/26, throwing for 197 yards and a touchdown. However, he also threw a pick and coughed up the ball while getting pressure from Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt.

It's been a tough year for Russell Wilson and the Broncos, especially for the amount of money the team is shelled out for him. Maybe that's the reason the Broncos can't stand to see a healthy Russell Wilson sitting on the bench.

They have nothing to play for, so it's not like putting Rypien under center could help them make a late playoff charge. If they're paying him, they may as well trot the $242 Million Dollar Man out there, much to the chagrin of Broncos fans.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle

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Matt is a University of Central Florida graduate and a long-suffering Philadelphia Flyers fan living in Orlando, Florida. He can usually be heard playing guitar, shoe-horning obscure quotes from The Simpsons into conversations, or giving dissertations to captive audiences on why Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time.