Barring any surprises, the Denver Broncos will soon cut quarterback Russell Wilson and send the future Hall of Famer to free agency.
The Broncos benched Wilson for their final two games of 2023 despite being mathematically alive in the playoff race heading into Week 17. Wilson later confirmed to reporters that the Broncos benched him because he wouldn’t adjust the injury guarantees in his contract.
Amid speculation that Wilson may be content to sign on as a backup somewhere, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explained that the 35-year-old will be eyeing the chance to start as a quarterback in 2024:
“When the Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson and it quickly became obvious that they’ll cut him before his 2025 salary of $37 million becomes fully guaranteed on March 17, a sense emerged that Wilson will take the league minimum elsewhere ($1.21 million) and stick the Broncos with the balance of his $39 million fully-guaranteed compensation package for 2024.
However, Wilson won’t be doing that as a backup. He’ll want, in exchange for his willingness to take so little, a commitment that he’ll be the starter…
With money not an issue, he’ll be looking for a place where he’ll know he’s going to play — and where he thinks the team will be good enough to allow him to restore his status as a player who could end up with a bronze bust in Canton. The last two years have muddied if not drowned his case for the Hall of Fame.”
There are several teams that make sense as possible landing spots for Wilson. The Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons need a new starting QB. The Pittsburgh Steelers could look to bring in Wilson to compete with inconsistent starter Kenny Pickett, and the Minnesota Vikings will need a new QB if they don’t re-sign Kirk Cousins.
