The Zach Wilson trade truly is a low-risk move for the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos only gave up a sixth-round draft pick (and they got a seventh-round pick back), and Wilson won’t cost much in 2024.
Wilson is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. Denver and New York have agreed to split his salary this year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Compensation update on Zach Wilson trade: Jets and Broncos are splitting the $5.5 million that is due Wilson this season: Jets are paying $2.75 million and the Broncos are paying $2.75 million.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 22, 2024
Schefter’s math does not seem to completely check out. It’s possible he just rounded up to $5.5 million and split that in half to get $2.75 million.
If OverTheCap.com’s figures are accurate, the actual number is $5,453,274. Split in half, that would be $2,726,637 paid by each of the Broncos and Jets in 2024 (for what it’s worth, that’s the number listed on Spotrac.com).
The Broncos, of course, know what it’s like to pay a QB to play for a different team. They are still paying Russell Wilson $37.79 million this season while he earns just $1.21 million from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bringing in (Zach) Wilson was a low-cost move for Denver to acquire a 24-year-old quarterback with some upside. Even if he’s nothing more than a backup for the Broncos, the trade makes sense.
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