The Denver Broncos went from last place team to Super Bowl contender by acquiring quarterback Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason.

Wilson is a nine-time Pro-Bowler who helped lead the Seahawks to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The assumption is that Wilson will immediately turn Denver into one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

There's a major concern with Wilson, however, that everyone — specifically Broncos fans — seems to be ignoring.

The man cares more about winning awards than Super Bowls. And that's a problem.

ESPN's Brady Henderson took a deep dive this week into the breakup between Wilson and the Seahawks. And his story painted a picture of a quarterback who cares about his legacy and little else.

Henderson pointed out comments Wilson made ahead of the 2020 season when he made it clear wanted to win an MVP award and be compared to greats like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

From ESPN:

"Going into Year 9, I'm trying to break away," Wilson said, mentioning four of the all-time greats whose company he wanted to join: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Joe Montana. "I want to be the best in the world to ever do this."

"I don't want a vote," Wilson said, alluding to the fact he hasn't received any in his career. "I think more importantly, I want to win. Obviously, MVP is a special award."

Wilson's desire to win an MVP award and cement his legacy had a negative impact on Seattle's performance on the field.

After a great start in 2020, Wilson started struggling as he tried to pad his numbers to make sure he had a chance to win the MVP award. That led to subpar results on the field for Wilson.

From ESPN:

Wilson's lead on winning his first MVP in 2020 quickly faded when the prolific stretch gave way to the worst turnover funk of his career. Wilson committed 10 over the next four games, and with their defense also faltering, the Seahawks went 1-3.

One of Wilson's seven interceptions in that stretch came in a loss at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10. Trailing by a touchdown, he scrambled to his right and had a massive swath of empty turf in front of him. He bypassed the rushing yards, uncorking a deep heave back across the field that was picked off in the end zone.

"What are we doing here?" one source in the Seahawks' front office remembers thinking at the time. "Are we trying to win games or are we trying to win MVP?"

It feels like Wilson is more worried about individual accolades than team goals. Maybe that's why he hasn't returned to the Super Bowl since early 2015.

Wilson, who was also described by Henderson as angry that Seattle scouted Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen during the pre-draft process in 2017 and 2018, is certainly a great quarterback. And even though his mobility isn't what it used to be, he's still a smart player who knows how to win.

But it sounds like Wilson's biggest enemy is himself. His focus needs to be on winning above all else. That might mean that Denver runs the ball a lot in one game because of the defensive looks they're getting. Maybe Wilson doesn't have a great statistical season but the Broncos get to the Super Bowl. There's nothing wrong with that. And Wilson has to be okay with that.

We'll see how the Wilson era goes in Denver. Maybe the fresh start will reset Wilson's mindset. But it's still something I think Broncos fans should monitor.

Featured image via Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports