Russell Wilson has been Benched for the 1st Time in his NFL Career

Former NC State Quarterback Russell Wilson has played in 188 NFL games in his career, and he has started every single one of them.

For the first time in Wilson’s career, he has been benched.

Sources: The #Broncos are, in fact, benching Russell Wilson for the final two games, preserving their financial flexibility for the offseason.

Jarrett Stidham starts. pic.twitter.com/8sh7ORek5Q

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 27, 2023

Wilson’s numbers in his first season in Denver in 2022 were the worst of his career, but he rebounded well in 2023. He has completed 66.4% of his passes, and has thrown 26 touchdowns, with only 8 interceptions. His QB Rating of 98.0 ranks 8th in the NFL currently.

What the heck is happening in Denver?

According to JPAFootball, after Wilson led the Broncos to a win over the Chiefs in week 8, he was told they would make him inactive for the rest of the season if he didn’t adjust his contract. The two sides have been in dispute ever since.

Wow: The #Broncos approached Russell Wilson two days after their win over the #Chiefs and told him he would be made inactive for the rest of the season if he did not adjust his contract, per @Schultz_Report

The threat “shocked him” and the two sides got into a major dispute on… pic.twitter.com/HWQRJfvgg8

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 27, 2023

.@Schultz_Report joins us to give us exclusive insight on what led to the benching of Russell Wilson. pic.twitter.com/6tIN46z7Bv

— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) December 27, 2023

Denver Head Coach Sean Payton is doubling down that this isn’t about finances. He is claiming this decision was based on their “desperate trying to win” and they are “looking for a spark.”

#Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton on benching #RussellWilson and why he made the move pic.twitter.com/3GhqUBqYvu

— Nick Ferguson (@NickFerguson_25) December 27, 2023

No disrespect Sean, but no one is buying this narrative.

This is about money.

CBS’ Cody Benjamin does a good job breaking down the dollars and cents of this whole mess.

Here are the details: Wilson is currently signed through 2028, but he’s only guaranteed money through 2024. That said, his entire 2025 salary ($37M) will be guaranteed if he remains on the Broncos’ roster at the start of the next league year (March 17), per Over the Cap. So it’s probable Denver will make a decision on the QB’s future before then.

The options: The Broncos can outright release Wilson by March 17, but doing so would actually result in a loss of $49.6M in 2024. Denver is already projected to be at least $18M over the 2024 cap, so cutting him straight-up wouldn’t be logical. Designating him a post-June 1 release, however, is a distinct possibility. In that scenario, Denver would eat Wilson’s 2024 salary ($35.4M) but actually avoid any financial blow to the 2024 cap. In other words, they’d save nothing immediately, but millions beyond 2024.

The other option, which is far more unlikely: trading Wilson. It’s not that the QB wouldn’t have any market; odds are he’s restored some of his value to other NFL teams after bouncing back from 2022. But a trade before June 1 would result in an immediate loss of $32.6M against the Broncos’ 2024 cap. Denver could deal him after June 1 to save $17M — the best-case financial scenario for splitting with the QB — but that would require waiting until the summer, well after the start of free agency, to find a trade partner.

The other factor in all of this: Wilson’s health for the remainder of 2023. Injured players cannot be outright released — without a negotiated injury settlement, at least — so that explains Denver’s benching of Wilson for the final two games. 

(CBS)

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Wilson is expecting to be cut by the Broncos in March.

Russell Wilson is expecting to be cut by the Denver Broncos in March, per league sources. For almost two months, the quarterback has been starting knowing the organization was most likely going to move on him from after this season.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 28, 2023

How will this all unfold? Where will Wilson be playing in 2024? We will have to wait and see.