Former Denver Broncos linebacker DJ Williams made an appearance on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast this week. He sat down for an interview with former NFL players and hosts Brandon Marshall, Fred Taylor, Chad Ochocinco, as well as fellow guest LeSean McCoy. During his appearance, Williams made some pretty damning claims about the Josh McDaniels era in Denver.
The longtime Broncos LB suggested that the team was cheating during McDaniels' time as head coach (via Dov Kleiman).
Former long-time @Broncos starting LB @DjWilliam55 opened up about the Josh McDaniels era in Denver on the @IAMATHLETEpod
"We started 6-0." – "We lose to San Francisco, our film guy got caught filming their practice."
"WE WAS CHEATING!"pic.twitter.com/Y1V7QgH21r
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 12, 2022
Williams claimed that the Broncos were filming their opponents' practice sessions to give the team an advantage during games. Of course, this is essentially the same misdoing that the New England Patriots were busted and penalized for in the infamous Spygate scandal.
In 2010, claims were made against the Broncos that they illegally filmed the San Francisco 49ers' practice while both teams were practicing at Wembley Stadium in London. McDaniels and Broncos video director Steve Sarnecchia were fined $50,000 each for the incident.
While there were elements of truth to Williams' revelations, there's also a bit of fabrication. For one, the Broncos started 6-0 during McDaniels' first season. Williams said they lost to the 49ers and subsequently went on a losing streak after getting caught filming their practice. In reality, that game against the Niners didn't occur until the next season and McDaniels wasn't fired until more than a full month after that loss.
Still, despite a few inconsistencies, Williams painted a damning picture about what was going on behind closed doors in Denver. Whether his claims are accurate remains to be seen, but for a former player to openly suggest the team was cheating is a worrying tell.
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