Well, the time has come for the Denver Broncos. The Russell Wilson Era in Denver has come to an end. After many grumblings during the season and offseason, the Broncos decided to make the tough move. They have released Russell Wilson.
It should not come as a surprise to anybody as it was time to part ways. It was clear that Sean Payton and Russell Wilson’s relationship had deteriorated and it was notable in that game against Detroit when he argued with him. It doesn’t help that Wilson is a poor fit in this culture, Wilson recently put his Colorado house up for sale, and Wilson has declined on the field super hard. The signs were there that this was going to happen and Wilson knew the writing was on the wall.
Russell Wilson played 30 games under center for the Broncos in 2 seasons. Wilson’s Denver record is 11-19 record, their completion percentage is 63.3% and they threw for 6,594 yards,42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. It also hurt that with him as the QB, Denver had one of the worst offenses in the league. it is such a shame what happened to Wilson in his time in Denver. Here is a player who went from being one of the top QBs in the league, one of the most respected people, winning a Superbowl with Seattle, to out of a job and a shattered reputation. It is quite a fall from grace for Russell Wilson.
What Releasing Russell Wilson Does To The Broncos Salary Cap?
With Wilson being released, the Broncos will have to pay 85 million dollars in dead cap to Russell Wilson. Here is the worst part, the Broncos will have to pay that cap in two years. Wilson will get, a $35.4 million dead cap hit in 2024 and a $49.6 million dead cap hit in 2025. Almost a third of the Broncos salary cap is being paid for somebody not to play with their team. Insanity.
Quick question for the Denver Broncos. Why is George Paton still here as the GM? Wasn’t he the guy who made the awful trade and extended Wilson immediately? Remember the awful Randy Gregory contract, hiring Nathanial Hackett, etc. Paton wrecked the Bronco’s Salary cap for the next two seasons as a result. Not even Ryan Grigson and Matt Millan would be that horrendous at managing the salary cap. How does George Paton still have a jo? Paton is absolutely on the hot seat for next season.
The Russell Wilson Trade Heavily Backfired
The Russell Wilson trade is going to go down as one of the worst trades in NFL History. It is not the worst of all time as that is reserved for the Herschel Walker deal. The Wilson deal is arguably the 2nd worst deal in NFL history as it heavily backfired for Denver. Just look at the assets they gave up below and what those picks turned into.
So … who won the Russell Wilson trade? 😅#Broncos | #Seahawks | #NFL pic.twitter.com/x8bFnmP0F7
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 4, 2024
They basically gave Seattle a multi year jump in there rebuild and so far it has panned and while they missed the playoffs last season, they have 3 main pieces on this team for the future and a lot of players that are solid depth pieces.
As for Wilson his future in the NFL, it is very unknown. Is this going to be the last we see of Wilson, as a starter? Potentially, but he should get another chance with another team. He will be a nice cheap option for a team so he should get offers. There are a few notable options for him to sign with, but one thing is for sure, his time with Denver will go down as one of the biggest disappointments in football history.