According to a well-known NFL insider at ESPN, the Denver Broncos should part ways with quarterback Russell Wilson during the offseason.
Wilson was supposed to recover under Sean Payton’s guidance following a terrible rookie season in Denver. However, things haven’t exactly gone as planned for the two future Hall of Famers, and going into their Week 7 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, the Broncos are sitting at an awful 1-5.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how concerned should Denver supporters be about Wilson’s $245 million contract? That question was posed to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano.
Graziano provided the best response he could when describing why the Broncos ought to sever their relationship with the nine-time Pro Bowl player:
“10, and I wish I could go higher. I think the Broncos have to bite the bullet and cut him before the 2025 guarantees kick in next March. Designate him a post-June 1 cut, take the $35.4 million dead money hit in 2024, another $49 million or so in 2025 and draft a QB to rebuild around.
This is a bigger project than I think coach Sean Payton expected, and a reset is probably the best way to go. If you’re going to have a quarterback on a rookie deal for the next couple of seasons, you can afford to absorb those dead money hits.”
Russell Wilson's contract is looming large for the Broncos, according to @DanGrazianoESPN (@ESPNPlus) 🔗 https://t.co/1HrseVltsl pic.twitter.com/TGdtPTsFgt
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 18, 2023
In the 2022 offseason, Wilson was acquired by Denver from the Seattle Seahawks in a blockbuster trade.
The intention behind the acquisition was to put a stop to the Broncos’ six-year quest for a franchise quarterback. However, Wilson and the Broncos have become irrelevant, while Geno Smith has experienced a professional comeback in Seattle.
Wilson has a dismal 5-16-0 record while playing for the Broncos. He has passed for 4,829 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The 34-year-old didn’t have a losing season with the Seattle Mariners until 2021, but in just two seasons with the Broncos, he’s already on track to match that total.
Sean Payton even went viral for yelling at Wilson. We had reported how there had been trouble brewing between Wilson and his coach from start. The only option left to the Broncos this offseason is to start over at quarterback in accordance with Graziano’s suggestion if Wilson is unable to turn things around quickly.