The Denver Broncos informed quarterback Russell Wilson he will be released when the new league year arrives on March 13.
The Broncos brought Russell Wilson to Mile High during the 2022 off-season. It cost the team several premium draft picks and a few players in a trade with the Seahawks.
While Seattle went on to qualify for the postseason in the first year without Wilson, Denver did not witness the same instant success.
In 2022, Wilson put up the worst numbers of his NFL career. The front office fired Nathaniel Hackett and replaced him with Sean Payton, paying dividends for Wilson and the Broncos.
They won eight games and stuck around in the playoff chase down the stretch. However, Payton’s scheme never quite meshed with the veteran quarterback’s skill set.
Denver will void the contract only two years after inking Wilson to a $242.5 million deal. The Broncos will have paid Wilson north of $125 million for two years of his services.
RGIII bashes the Broncos for disrespecting Russell Wilson
While Wilson hit the jackpot monetarily, one NFL analyst looked at it from a football perspective. Robert Griffin III hit out at the Broncos over how the Wilson situation played out.
“I think the bottom line is when you bring in a quarterback of that caliber, and you cater it to him, you have to fully cater it to him,” Griffin said on ESPN’s Get Up.
“Not put him in an offense with a first-time head coach, a first-time play caller, a first-time general manager, and a young team, and expect him to make chicken out of chicken s***!
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RG3 dropping S-bombs on ESPN airwaves at 9:15 a.m. while discussing Russell Wilson."When you bring in a quarterback of that caliber and you cater it to him, you have to fully cater it to him. Not put him in an offense with a first-time head coach, a first-time playcaller, a… pic.twitter.com/FJ6i8UWwhe
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 5, 2024
“Russell Wilson had a top-five touchdown-to-interception ratio [in 2023], 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
“For me, hearing everyone talk about him the way that they have doesn’t really match up to the way he played.
“And it certainly doesn’t match up to the fact that Russell Wilson is a Hall of Fame quarterback.
“The bottom line is that Russell Wilson is a starting quarterback in the NFL. He is easily a top 20 quarterback in the NFL. And I’m sick and tired of hearing Russell Wilson’s name get dragged through the mud.
“Russell Wilson has proven that he can play the position at a high level. And now, he has an opportunity to go prove that he can still be that guy for another three, four, five years.”
Russell Wilson is on the move! Which team should sign him to be their starting QB next season? 👀 pic.twitter.com/dePmrVXpfh
— NFL on DAZN (@NFLonDAZN) March 5, 2024
As RGIII alluded, Wilson will become a free agent on March 13, allowing him to sign with any franchise on the open market.
Reports state that Wilson is willing to take the veteran minimum to secure a starting role in 2024. At such a discount, expect multiple teams to entertain signing him.