Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson underwent a procedure on Friday in hopes of relieving discomfort near his throwing shoulder -- an injury similar to the one that sidelined Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for most of training camp last year, per sources.
While teammates gathered Friday morning at the team facility in the aftermath of Thursday night's ugly 12-9 loss to the Colts, Wilson was on a plane to Los Angeles, where doctors performed a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.
Sources say Wilson has been dealing with a strained latissimus dorsi -- an injury more commonly seen in baseball players, and one that is not usually treated with an injection. He popped up on the injury report with a right shoulder injury on Tuesday, and coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wilson was sore after he "dinged up" the shoulder in last Sunday's loss to the Raiders.
Unlike Prescott, who didn't throw for nearly a month last August to allow the injury to heal, Wilson intends to keep playing when the Broncos return from their mini-bye for a Monday night game against the Chargers on Oct. 17.
Wilson's hope, sources say, is that the injection -- coupled with round-the-clock treatment from his personal medical team -- will expedite the healing process. It's unclear, based on precedent and discussions with experts, whether the injection will improve his situation.
Wilson has struggled in his first season in Denver, which gave up two first-round draft picks and more to acquire him from Seattle in March and signed him to a five-year, $245 million contract extension last month. Through five games, Wilson has completed just 59.4% of his passes with a 82.8 passer rating -- both on pace for career lows. He missed several throws in Thursday night's loss to the Colts and was intercepted twice in the end zone, including on the game's final play.
"It's very simple. At the end of the day, I have to be better. I have to play better," Wilson said after the game. "This team, this defense played their butts off tonight. We had some key, good drives [where] we moved the ball. In the red zone, we just didn't get to capitalize on some of them. There were some plays here and there that we can capitalize on…At the end of the day, throwing two interceptions can't happen. Can't happen. I let the team down tonight."
The Broncos are 2-3.
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