Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will miss his first game of the 2022 season on Sunday.
NFL Network's James Palmer reported Saturday that Wilson, who was initially listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, has been ruled out Denver's Week 7 game versus the New York Jets, per a source. The team has since announced the news.
Brett Rypien will get the start in Wilson's place. The Broncos elevated quarterback Josh Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster following the downgrade of Wilson.
Wilson sustained the hamstring injury during Monday night's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and was considered day to day following an MRI on Tuesday. The injury forced Wilson to be a limited participant in practice all week, but there was a chance he'd play in Week 7 after being listed as questionable on Friday's injury report. Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett had deemed the star QB as a game-time decision on Friday.
The hamstring injury has added to what's been a rough start for Wilson with the Broncos. The star QB has also dealt with a right shoulder injury that required a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection following a Week 5 loss to the Colts. With Wilson owning a 5-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio through six games, the Broncos rank last in the NFL with an average of 15.2 points per game.
Rypien is now set to make the second start of his young career on Sunday. The 26-year-old started a game for Denver in Week 2 of the 2020 season, earning a win over the Jets after going 19-of-31 passing for 242 yards, two TDs and three INTs on Thursday Night Football. Rypien's last appearance came in Week 16 of last season, completing 27 of 40 pass attempts for 295 yards, two TDs and four INTs in relief of an injured Drew Lock.
After securing the backup QB role after an impressive preseason in 2022, Rypien will look to get a struggling Broncos (2-4) team back on track.
