The Denver Broncos will be releasing legendary quarterback Russell Wilson once the new league year begins. Wilson took to Instagram to share a message to Broncos Country.
This isn’t exactly shocking, as rumors have been circulating for months that this would happen. Things came to a head when the Broncos decided to bench Wilson for the final two games of the season. This was done for the salary cap implications that came with this, as it would make Wilson easier to release. Even with this financial maneuvering, Denver will carry an $85 million dead money cap hit over the next two seasons.
The Russell experiment has been terrible for the Broncos. In Wilson’s two seasons with the team they went 5-12, then 8-9, missing the playoffs both years. This wasn’t what they hoped when they gave up a haul for him.
The Broncos gave up Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, 2022 1st (Charles Cross), 2022 2nd (Boye Mafe), 2022 5th (Tyreke Smith), 2023 1st (Devon Witherspoon), and 2023 2nd (Derick Hall). The Broncos also got a 2022 4th (Eyioma Uwazurike), but this doesn’t come close to making up for the value they lost. Devon Witherspoon is the biggest loss, as he came fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Charles Cross is a great player himself, quickly becoming a high-level offensive lineman. It’s safe to say that Denver would rather have the elite young talent instead of the $85 million failure.
Russell Wilson Will Become a Free Agent
Wilson will enter the free agent market and is likely to have some suitors. The Pittsburgh Steelers are already connected to the 9-time pro bowler. This makes plenty of sense as the Steelers have struggled to find a solution at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Wilson, while not a long-term fix, would at least be a stable veteran presence providing time to plan for the future.
Other notable teams looking for a quarterback include the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. While he isn’t what he used to be, Russell Wilson will have an opportunity to prove his worth after the Denver Broncos release him.
