Russell Wilson tried to do everything he could to play after a hamstring injury, but Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett on Saturday ruled out the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback vs. the New York Jets on Sunday.
Hackett’s decision was made to allow Wilson time to heal and prevent a lingering injury, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Backup quarterback Brett Rypien, who has taken a significant number of snaps with the starting offense throughout the week, will start.
Denver will reevaluate Wilson’s injury this week and determine whether he can play Oct. 30 in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 26-year-old Rypien has spent the previous three seasons on either the Broncos’ roster or practice squad before he won the backup job in this year’s training camp.
His only previous start in the NFL was against the Jets in 2020, a 37-28 Broncos win in which Rypien threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions.
The Broncos on Saturday also elevate quarterback Josh Johnson from the practice squad.
Wilson has said he suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson received a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam Tuesday morning and has since been officially listed as a limited participant in each of the past three days of practice.
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. The Broncos leave Monday for London to prepare for the game against the Jaguars before a Week 9 bye.