This is not what the Denver Broncos had in mind when they traded for Russell Wilson and gave him a massive contract extension. The quarterback has underperformed through five games with his new team, raising concerns that he can live up to his lucrative deal.

Wilson inked a five-year, $245 million extension shortly before the 2022 NFL season. The contract includes $165 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $49 million, which ranks second highest in league history.

Wilson hasn't played anywhere close to the level of a top quarterback, which he did for much of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. The 33-year-old leads the league's second-worst scoring offense. The Broncos fell to 2-3 with an embarrassing 12-9 loss against the Indianapolis Colts Thursday night. Wilson's struggles were on full display for the entire country to see during a nationally televised game.

Denver lost while allowing no touchdowns, sacking Matt Ryan six times and intercepting the Colts quarterback twice. Wilson threw for 274 yards on 39 attempts with two interceptions of his own. Wilson's pick late in the game gave the Colts their chance to make a comeback. He then missed wide-open K.J. Hamler in the end-zone for the potential game-winning touchdown on the final play of overtime.

"It's very simple -- at the end of the day I've got to be better, I've got to play better," Wilson told reporters. "The defense played their butts off tonight, we had some key good drives. ... At the end of the day throwing two interceptions can't happen. Can't happen. I let the team down tonight."

Denver's red-zone struggles have been a theme all season long. Wilson has failed to complete 16 of his 18 pass attempts in the red zone. The Broncos have turned just 30% of their trips inside the 20-yard line into touchdowns. It's the worst rate in football.

Wilson's 82.8 passer rating ranks 20th among all starting quarterbacks. He only has four touchdown passes and three interceptions. Denver's offense is performing worse than it did a season ago with Teddy Bridgewater under center. Geno Smith has been better this season as Wilson's replacement in Seattle.

The Broncos' championship hopes for the next several seasons are directly tied to Wilson. Denver traded multiple young players, two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks in exchange for the quarterback.

Wilson's salary is guaranteed through 2024. His dead cap is $49.6 million in 2025, meaning the quarterback will still be taking up a huge chunk of Denver's salary cap in three years.

There is still 70% of the season left to be played. Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett gets a large portion of the blame for Denver's struggles. Wilson and the offense could certainly improve as the season moves along.

If things don't get better soon, it might mean that the Broncos' playoff drought isn't ending anytime soon.

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Russell Wilson #3 of the Denver Broncos walks off the field during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field At Mile High on October 06, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Justin Tafoya/Getty Images