It’s been a disaster in Denver for Russell Wilson, and now it looks like he will no longer be a Bronco in 2024
Denver head coach Sean Payton announced on Sunday that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson – considered the team’s leader coming into the season – will sit on the bench for the team’s final two games. In his place, fourth-year passer Jarrett Stidham will take the snaps for the Broncos.
Wilson was just acquired by Denver in 2021, along with a fourth-round pick in a monster deal, where the Broncos gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant.
The move was supposed to solidify a franchise that had already won Super Bowls behind legendary QBs like John Elway and Peyton Manning. Now Wilson, sporting a ring of his own as a Seahawk, was arriving in the Mile High City to carry on that same winning tradition. At least, that’s how it was supposed to turn out.
Instead, it’s been an utter disappointment for both Russell Wilson and the franchise, In his time with the Broncos, he’s only gone 11-19 as a starter.
While wins and losses can’t be blamed solely on the play of the QB, Wilson’s numbers don’t lie. When he’s good, he can be spectacular. And to be fair? He has played better in recent weeks. But overall, his inconsistency has hurt Denver’s chances for contention again this year.
Wilson is the 21st-rated passer in the NFL, with a QBR of 50.6, and he’s 18th in passing yards with 3,070. Those are fairly mediocre numbers for a guy who is expected to be your main offensive weapon.
With the move, ESPN’s Adam Schefter -who has been covering the story closely – is reporting that the Broncos will be moving on from Russell Wilson this coming offseason. On Wednesday, he discussed the team’s potential moves and indicated that “all signs pointed to” Denver having already decided to move on.
Along with those reports, it’s also been noted that the reasoning behind the benching is to eliminate the chance of him getting injured – which would gum up the entire transition process.
“Wilson has $37M in 2025 salary that vests in March of 2024, and if he suffered a serious injury, it would complicate matters,” another NFL Insider, Ian Rappoport, posted online.
The Broncos would be hit with an $85 million ‘dead money figure’ under the salary cap if they cut Russell Wilson in March. However, the franchise can designate the QB as a post-June 1st release and spread the hit out over two years. That would help soften some of the blow, as they look to replace the former Pro Bowler in 2024.
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