December 28th 2023.
The Denver Broncos have made a tough decision for the remaining two games of the regular season, benching their quarterback Russell Wilson. According to The Athletic, Wilson has known for two months that the Broncos intended to cut him after the season. Sources close to him have said that the Broncos reached out to his representatives after their win against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 29th, and told them that if Wilson did not defer his injury guarantee trigger date for 2025, he would be inactive for the rest of the season.
Wilson had signed a five-year, $245 million contract with the Broncos in September of 2022 when he was traded from the Seattle Seahawks. He has injury guarantees for 2025 that will become guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2024 league year in March. If the Broncos choose to cut him, they will still need to pay him $85 million.
After a rocky start to the season, the Broncos and Wilson managed to turn things around and win five games in a row. Unfortunately, they lost three of their last four, and Wilson was benched to save money for the team. Reports have also said that the relationship between Wilson and Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been contentious from the start, and it culminated in Payton yelling at Wilson on the sidelines following an offsides penalty in their 42-17 loss to the Detroit Lions on December 17th.
Wilson will finish the season passing for 3,524 yards, 16 TDs, 11 interceptions, and a career-low 84.4 passer rating. Jarrett Stidham, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, will take over for Wilson. He has made just two NFL starts in five years, throwing for 656 yards with four TDs and three picks, resulting in an 89.2 passer rating.
The Broncos are still in playoff contention, but by benching Wilson, they are essentially punting on the season to save money. Coach Payton said, “We need a spark. We need something right now. We’ll handle the long term when we get there.”
It has been a tough decision for both Wilson and the Broncos, but it's clear that the team is looking to the future. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Wilson and the Broncos.
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