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The Broncos are paying Russell Wilson a boatload of money NOT to play quarterback in Denver. After two unsuccessful seasons in the Mile High City, Russ is off to Pittsburgh in hopes of changing the narrative.
But while Wilson is viewed by most as a low risk, high reward player for the Steelers, it’s clear that Sean Payton has zero regret about the way things worked out.
The Broncos initially landed “Mr. Unlimited” in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, supposedly boosting their strength under center and turning Denver into an immediate playoff contender.
That transformation never happened, though, as the Russell Wilson era was largely a failure.
The team went 11-19 across two seasons with the Super Bowl winning signal caller at the helm, and things soured after Sean Payton landed the head coaching job in 2023.
Payton benched his starter before last season was through, and a rocky relationship came to a head when Wilson was released in the offseason.
He’s since landed with the Steelers, signing for the league minimum while forcing Denver to pay nearly $40M of his 2024 salary.
Sean Payton doesn’t care that the Broncos are paying Russell Wilson.
He just wanted him gone!
He reiterated that viewpoint this week in the bluntest way possible. When asked if it was difficult to release the passer while taking an $85M salary cap hit, he simply said, “No.”
#Broncos HC Sean Payton with a one word answer on whether or not it was difficult to move on without Russell Wilson, 85 Million dollar dead cap hit and all pic.twitter.com/oYheLj5Pju
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) March 26, 2024
Sometimes, one word is all you need!
With Wilson gone, Denver will move forward with Jarrett Stidham unless they sign someone before the start of the year. There’s also the possibility of drafting a quarterback in a loaded class this April.
As for Russell Wilson, he’s already moved onto the next phase, and he’s taken his corniness along with him. The passer is rebranding in a way, breaking out a new Steelers motto while continuing to annoy NFL fans online.
He has to be trolling at this point!
Interestingly enough, the Steelers travel to Denver for a matchup against the Broncos next season. There won’t be any love lost between the two sides!