Broncos' QB Wilson drops weight

There's a lot less of Russell Wilson this off-season. No more hype videos bombarding social media, no more chronicles of every globe-trotting trip, no more merchandise pitches or cringey catchphrases.

“I feel lean and mean and ready to go,” said Wilson, who looks noticeably thinner. Wilson was light on specifics when asked exactly how much weight he'd lost.

“I'm not worried about that, I'm not counting,” Wilson said. “All I know is I'm excited to play again.”

Wilson has kept a much lower public profile since Sean Payton took over as head coach following a 5-12 debacle, Denver's sixth straight losing season.

Payton pledged on Day 1 that the Broncos would put in the work behind closed doors and out of the watchful eyes of the public. He also declared Wilson would no longer be allowed to have his personal QB coach on the premises like Nathaniel Hackett had allowed.

Payton hasn't made his co-ordinators, including former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, available to the media. Nor did he allow the team to trot out any free agents who made up the most expensive class in the NFL this season.

He scrapped a mini-camp the NFL had already announced and he allowed access to the team's draft picks following its rookie mini-camp, meaning the newcomers spoke before any veterans could.

“You always reflect on every year, ever since I came into the National Football League, the things that you can do better, things you can always work on,” Wilson said. “You always want to be in the best shape of your life. I'm ready for that. I'm better than ever.”

Wilson threw just 16 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions, a career-high 55 sacks and a 4-11 record after the Broncos sent four premium picks and three veterans to Seattle for the one-time Super Bowl winner, whom they granted a Us$245-million contract extension last summer.