The Denver Broncos have a lot of hope and excitement surrounding them with the 2022 season right on the horizon. A big reason for that is because they added Russell Wilson in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. With Wilson on board, the Broncos look very dangerous.

Even though Wilson struggled with a finger injury last season, he still figures to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He will offer a stark upgrade over the likes of Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, which should help Denver make a serious playoff push in the extremely competitive AFC West division.

Wilson could be the key for the Broncos, and chances are he will put together a nice bounce back campaign with Denver. Could Wilson translate his success with his new team into an MVP award? Here are three reasons why we will see Wilson walk away from the 2022 season with his first ever MVP award.

3 reasons Russell Wilson will win 2022 NFL MVP

3. His expectations for the 2022 season are lower than his competitors

Expectations play a big role in voting for the end of the season awards. There's a reason why New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has only won three Coach of the Year awards throughout his career. Everyone expects his teams to win, so he has to go above and beyond his expectations in order to truly convince voters to hand him the award.

In that sense, expectations are going to be lowered for Wilson heading into the 2022 season. He struggled through one of the worst seasons of his career in 2021 thanks to the aforementioned finger injury, and couldn't lead the Seahawks to a playoff spot. If he does anything great this season, that will make him an instant contender for the 2022 NFL MVP award.

Chances are Wilson will exceed expectations in 2022. The Broncos offense is much more potent than Seattle's was last season, meaning things should be easier for Wilson. Considering all the weapons Wilson now has at his disposal in Denver, a bounce back campaign should be the minimum expectation for him this upcoming season. If he can exceed expectations, his MVP candidacy will have some real push behind it.

2. He has some shiny new weapons on offense

As previously mentioned, Wilson has a ton of new weapons on offense to use this season in Denver. It's not that the same wasn't true during his time in Seattle, but the Broncos have players who were solid last season with uneven quarterback play, and should only continue to improve now that Wilson is under center.

Among them is the Broncos top wide receiver duo of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. Sutton is one of the most underrated wideouts in the league, while Jeudy has tons of potential that he should be able to reach with Wilson under center. Wilson also has one of the best up-and-coming running backs behind him in Javonte Williams, and a solid secondary option in Melvin Gordon as well.

Put that all together, and you have the makings of a dominant offense. Wilson was doing a lot with a fairly limited offense in Seattle, and now that he's got weapons and a solid offensive line, things are looking up for him. If Wilson can get some help from his teammates on offense, it will only help his MVP candidacy.

1. The Broncos will “let Russ cook”

One of the notable factors that led to some tension between Seattle and Wilson towards the end of his tenure there was head coach Pete Carroll's resistance to letting Wilson take over games. Carroll loved to get Seattle's ground game involved, regardless of whether or not they had a good running back lined up behind Wilson or not. It spawned the phrase “let Russ cook” which was a plea with Carroll to simply let Wilson be himself.

That shouldn't be an issue with the Broncos, who will be happy to finally have a competent starting quarterback under center for the first time in awhile. Even with Williams lined up behind him, Denver isn't going to be shy about getting Wilson involved in games like the Seahawks were.

Russell Wilson's MVP candidacy was often shut down because he didn't have the gaudy passing numbers that his peers had. That could change now that he's in Denver playing for the Broncos. The Broncos have all the pieces in place to have a lethal passing attack that could win them the majority of their games. And if they “let Russ cook” he's going to have as good a shot to win the 2022 NFL MVP award as any player in the league.