The Denver Broncos are widely expected to release Russell Wilson and take on a record dead cap hit of $85 million, but one former NFL player thinks he will actually be traded instead.
In an appearance on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams, former MVP running back Shaun Alexander says he is not only hearing rumblings of a trade but noted that Wilson be traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
“I’ve been hearing, maybe Atlanta,” Alexander said. “They’ve got a good tight end, good receivers, line’s okay.”
Wilson’s $242.5 million contract was the driver in his removal from the lineup at the end of the season, and his offseason departure will leave the Broncos with nothing to show for a 2022 trade in which they acquired Wilson for five draft picks including two No. 1s and three players from Seattle.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN stated that the Broncos could offer teams draft compensation to take on part of the $39 million in guarantees owed to Wilson for next season.
Wilson also has a no-trade clause in his contract so he has to agree to any trade for it to work. At this point, he is unlikely to do Denver any favors with the way he was treated by head coach Sean Payton this past season.
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“I don’t think he’ll do Denver any favors,” a salary cap expert told Fowler. “Why would he? He can wait this out and essentially pick his new team with a golden parachute coming.”
The Broncos benched Wilson in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the final two games of the regular season, a move that most view as the beginning of the end for Wilson in Denver.
As for Alexander, he set numerous NFL and Seahawks franchise records and was named the NFL MVP in 2005. He was also named to the NFL’s 2000 All-Decade team and ranks eighth all-time in NFL history for rushing touchdowns.
As it stands, the Broncos appear prepared to pay a hefty price for Wilson to no longer be their quarterback.
