Broncos Release Russell Wilson After Disastrous Stint In Denver

Getty Image / Candice Ward

When the Denver Broncos made a blockbuster trade two offseasons ago to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson from Seattle, many thought they had their franchise quarterback. Instead, the Russell Wilson-Denver Broncos marriage turned into a disaster.

It was made clear at the end of last season that Russell Wilson was not in the long term plans in Denver. That was made official Monday afternoon when the Broncos released Russell Wilson.

Look at those cap hits. That tells the story of how big a disaster this was. Not only did it not work out on the field in 2022 or 2023, but it also is going to impact the team for the next few years. Those are some huge cap hits for a player that’s not on the team anymore.

After the trade, Wilson and the Broncos agreed to a five-year, $248 million deal that included half of that number guaranteed. It will go down as one of the worst contracts in NFL history.

It’s not as if Wilson was completely terrible, though he was pretty bad in 2022. In 30 starts in Denver, Wilson threw for just under 6600 yards with 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. But, the team went 11-19 in those 30 starts. That’s obviously not what the Denver Broncos had in mind.

Look at how lopsided this trade looks now.

The Broncos now have to figure out what they want to do long-term at quarterback. With the 12th pick, they could hope to see if someone they like falls, they could trade up, or they could kick the can down the road to next year.

Meanwhile, Russell Wilson will absolutely get a starting job in the league somewhere next year. He’s not the player he once was at 35-years-old. But, a lot of teams need quarterbacks, and it’s been reported Wilson is willing to play on the cheap.