Broncos Country, Let's Ride

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About

Broncos Country, Let's Ride, also known as Russell Wilson's "Let's Ride," is a catchphrase used by American NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, often to sign off at the end of press conferences or interviews, to show support for his team, the Denver Broncos. In June 2022, the Broncos' Instagram page posted a video of Wilson saying the phrase multiple times over a greenscreen, which some found cringeworthy, inspiring recreations of the video after it became an exploitable meme. Another video of Wilson saying the phrase in a subjectively cringey manner went viral in October 2022.

Origin

On March 17th, 2022, a press conference was held after Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos. At the end of the press conference, which was uploaded to YouTube^[1] that day, Wilson says, "Broncos country, let's ride" (shown below). This is the first known instance Wilson said the phrase.

Spread

Wilson continued to use the catchphrase over the following months, becoming a colloquial slogan for the team. On June 2nd, 2022, Wilson posted a video to Instagram^[2] where he appears behind the scenes on a green screen with another player, seemingly about to shoot promos for the team. On the same day, the Broncos' Instagram^[3] page posted more behind-the-scene clips of the shoot, including a video where Wilson says, "Broncos country, let's ride," multiple times, garnering over 25,000 likes in four months (shown below). It was also posted to Twitter,^[4] garnering over 9,300 likes and 2,000 retweets in a similar timeframe.

#BroncosCountry , LET’S RIDE! pic.twitter.com/7rTOZ1uIhx

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 2, 2022

On June 3rd, The Pat McAfee Show uploaded a video to YouTube^[5] where they react to the clip, calling it "awkward" (shown below). The video gained over 540,000 views in four months.

The video then received viral spread, with many calling it "cringe" and "awkward," inspiring recreations and reactions in the following months. On July 1st, the @playmakers TikTok^[6] page shared the clip, garnering over 1.7 million views in three months. On July 27th, the West Virginia University Football pages posted a parody recreation of the video to TikTok^[7] replacing Broncos with his team's name, garnering over a million views in three months. On August 12th, the ESPN NFL Instagram^[8] page posted a compilation of similar videos, captioned, "dangerusswilson, look what you started 😂," garnering over 127,000 likes in two months (shown below).

Three days earlier on August 9th, 2022, Wilson was interviewed by the YouTube^[9] channel I AM ATHLETE where he spoke about the meme, garnering over 140,000 views in two months (shown below). On August 27th, YouTuber^[10] Highlight Heaven uploaded a video titled, "Russell Wilson says the thing," where he says the line during an interview, garnering over 659,000 views in the same span of time (unavailable for embed).

October 2022 Loss to The Indianapolis Colts

On October 7th, 2022, Twitter^[11] user @NFLonCBS posted a clip of Wilson speaking at a post-game conference that day in which the Broncos lost to the Colts 12-9. At the end of his speech, Wilson says the phrase, saying the first half into the mic, pausing, then saying, "let's ride" dramatically as he walked away (shown below). The post gained over 4,800 likes in under a day.

After the 12-9 loss in OT, Russell Wilson ends his press conference with "Broncos Country, let's ride."📹 @MySportsUpdate pic.twitter.com/BcRxiutGHj

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 7, 2022

The video gained viral spread on Twitter in the following days as users reposted it, teasing Wilson for saying the phrase despite the loss, some saying it was the "saddest Broncos country let's ride" ever. On that day, Twitter^[12] user @MySportsUpdate posted the video, gaining over 22,000 likes in under a day. Twitter^[13] user @DeadPresPicks shared the video, writing, "No way he still said Broncos Country let’s ride 😂," garnering over 500 likes in under a day.

USA Today^[14] also reported on the video, calling Wilson's delivery after the game cringey and "so bad." That same day, TikToker^[15] @russellwilsonburner3 posted a meme placing Wilson saying the phrase over several backgrounds of the Broncos stadium burning, garnering over 183,000 views in under a day (shown below).

Russell Wilson's Subway Commercial

Russell Wilson's Subway Commercial or Russell Wilson's "Dangerwich" Ad is a 2022 advertisement for Subway restaurants where American NFL quarterback Russell Wilson has a fake conversation with viewers in a POV style, asking if they want to share his spicy signature sandwich, the "Dangerwich," and then asking if they've done anything dangerous. The commercial was posted to TikTok in May 2022. In September, the ad became a viral subject of memes and criticism for being perceived as awkward and cringeworthy due to Wilson's delivery of the lines

Let Russell Cook

Let Him Cook, also known as Let That Boy Cook, is a slang term and catchphrase used as a callout to give someone the space to plot, strategize or hone their craft. The phrase is often used in American football discourse to ask fans to trust a player or a coach and give someone the benefit of the doubt when it comes to strategizing for a game or season, especially associated with Seattle Seahawks player Russell Wilson and the "Let Russ Cook" meme. Another common use of the term is to refer to someone's rizz or game when it comes to flirting, with "Let Him Cook" being a common response to a questionable hornypost.