Russell Wilson reportedly rejected signing for the Philadelphia Eagles before he moved to the Denver Broncos.
The NFL quarterback was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Broncos before the start of last season. In return, Denver agreed to give the Seahawks three players as well as a number of draft picks.
Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris were all traded to Seattle, with the NFC West team also receiving two first-round picks, two second round picks and a fifth round pick. Wilson agreed to a five-year deal worth $245m last September, with $145m guaranteed, to make him one of the highest paid players in the NFL.
However, it seems that the Broncos were not the only team said to be interested in signing Wilson. It’s been claimed by NFL Network that both the Eagles and the Washington Commanders were also possible destinations for the quarterback.
It’s been stated, though, that Wilson was apparently not keen on the idea of moving to the Eagles or the Commanders, and instead favoured the Broncos. It was also stated last year by Broncos County Tonight that Wilson rejected a move to Philadelphia during the Combine in March 2022.
Instead of signing Wilson, the Eagles stood by their 2020 second round pick Jalen Hurts as their QB. He is now among the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, after signing a five-year contract back in April worth $255m with $110m guaranteed.
Wilson is now busy preparing for his second season with the Broncos, but will now be working with a new coach. Sean Payton was named as the new coach in Denver after a trade with the New Orleans Saints shortly after the conclusion of last season.
Payton was formerly a quarterback coach before stepping into the head coach role and has more than two decades of experience. The Broncos agreed to trade with the Saints that saw them give up a first round pick for this year and a 2024 second round pick in exchange for Payton, as well as receive a third round pick of their own.
