The Denver Broncos are expected to release star quarterback, Russell Wilson after a disappointing two-year tenure. His era is over in Denver and Wilson knows it for himself. Wilson was benched for the remainder of the season due to $37 million in injury protection that was set to become guaranteed in the league’s new year. He knew his days in Denver were done two months before the new year.
Wilson was benched in favor of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who dipped the team below any chance of making the playoffs. The organization had expectations for Wilson and head coach Sean Payton in their first season together. However, some issues arose throughout the matchup that even caught media attention at the end of the season. Payton was caught yelling at Wilson on the sidelines during a play that ended in a penalty.
The Broncos had no mere chance of making the playoffs even benching Wilson with the remainder of the season. Payton let a reporter know that it’s “none of their business” why he was yelling at Wilson. This could stir controversy down the line for him if they investigate the mistreatment of Wilson. According to the NFLPA, the Broncos made illegal threats over his contract.
They also came in Wilson’s defense back in November that accused Denver of violating the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with their actions. Denver made the threat of removing Wilson from the lineup if he would renegotiate his contract to relinquish certain salary guarantees. This is an ongoing story and this could probably swirl back once Wilson is released.
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: #Broncos Quarterback Russell Wilson is accepting offers and providing tours to potential buyers for the mansion he owns in the Denver area, per @Business_Den
This makes sense, with his future in Denver looking questionable at best. Another sign.
Read More Here:… pic.twitter.com/Q7GcG8jc5B
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 16, 2024
The Denver Broncos Expected to Release Star Quarterback Russell Wilson
The Sean Payton Controversy
Payton could potentially be investigated if Wilson decides to move forward with legal action. However, he benched Wilson which was primarily football-related and had nothing to do with contract threats. This may be the case, but Wilson told another story to reports. He said that while being benched was football-related, he pointed out that he was threatened to be removed from the lineup in November.
A month earlier than that the team finally pulled the hammer to bench him and replace the starter with Stidham. Wilson still claimed that the team sat him down because he refused to remove the injury guarantee in his contract. Once all of this was done, he was bound to leave Denver before things got way uglier.
Wilson and his wife, multi-platinum singer and songwriter Ciara, are accepting offers on their Colorado home. This pretty much confirms that they’re on their way out once the free-agent market begins in March. A story of two between Wilson and Payton was slowly shattering before ever getting better for the future of the organization. Wilson posted on X last December stating “God’s got me. Looking forward to what’s next.”
This statement points out that he was long gone mentally before his release will be expected next month.
Potential Landing Spots for Wilson
It won’t be too long before Wilson finds a new NFL home after dealing with a disaster in Denver. Given the contract, it’s still surprising he could be on the move to a new team. Wilson is still expensive and his stock has gone down combined with a hefty contract. He will still be pricey for the Broncos as he’s set to account for $35.4 against the salary cap.
Three teams that could make a potential offer are the Steelers, Falcons and Patriots. The Steelers are looking for a mobile veteran-type caliber quarterback to create competition for Kenny Pickett. However, New England and Atlanta seem to be more “QB-needy teams” that are looking to find a reliable franchise quarterback. Wherever Wilson ends up, expect these three teams to make a move first.
