Sean Payton and the Broncos will reportedly bench starting quarterback Russell Wilson signaling the two sides are heading for a split this coming offseason.
The move certainly makes sense if they actually want to move on from Wilson this offseason given their playoff chances are for the most part out of the window after dropping their last two games, notably an embarrassing 26-23 home loss to New England. Denver would be on the hook for all of Wilson’s $37M salary in 2024 if were to become seriously injured these final two games so benching the veteran gives the team financial flexibility heading into next season.
Jarrett Stidham will start the final two games for Denver beginning with Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Meanwhile, Wilson will still dress and serve as the No. 2 quarterback, according to a source who spoke with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Wilson’s current contract runs through 2028, but his guaranteed money only goes until 2024. However, if Wilson were to remain on the roster at the start of the next league year (March 17), the Broncos would be on the hook for his entire 2025 salary of $37 million, according to Over the Cap.
Given those circumstances and Denver’s decision to bench him heading into the weekend, it’s likely the Broncos release the veteran before that date.
In any sense, the Wilson experiment for Denver has been nothing but a disaster. After acquiring the former Seattle QB for a package that included two first-round picks, two second-round selections, and Drew Lock in the 2022 offseason, Wilson immediately signed a five-year, $242.6-million contract that contained $161 million in guaranteed money. Unfortunately, for the Broncos the return didn’t quite pan out, especially under then head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired just 15 games into the 2022 season. Additionally, Wilson posted career-low numbers as a starter finishing with a 4-11 record while also setting career lows in completion percentage (60.5%), passing touchdowns (16), and passer rating (84.4).
This past offseason, the Broncos handed wrote another big check, this time to Sean Payton to become their new head coach whom the organization thought could find some of Wilson’s lost magic. And in some sense, Payton did as Wilson rebounded with 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions, however, the veteran QB is still averaging a career-worst 6.9 yards per pass attempt. Meanwhile, the Broncos are also averaging just 21.9 points per game while the offense is 25th in total yardage.
