The Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson to help turn them into a Super Bowl contender. Through nearly two seasons, he has done anything but, and it’s time to start wondering whether his monster contract is still worth it for Denver.
With Denver’s deflating home loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night, the Broncos now face extremely tall odds of even qualifying for the playoffs. This led to a rather pointed question for Wilson in his postgame press conference: what lies ahead for his future in the Mile High City?
Wilson didn’t even entertain the question, deferring to the remaining football the 2023 Broncos have to play:
#Broncos Russell Wilson on his future: "I’m just worried about next week & playing great football. I came here to win a championship for & find a way to do that. Obviously, I love being here with these guys & these teammates I’m excited to keep playing ball & playing hard for us"
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 25, 2023
You can find this question and answer starting at 4:38 in the video below, courtesy of the Broncos’ Twitter account:
#BroncosCountry LIVE: QB Russell Wilson meets the media after #NEvsDEN https://t.co/BueC9QRtyT
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 25, 2023
As much as Wilson doesn’t (understandably) want to talk about his future after a loss, it’s still a valid discussion to consider. Per Over The Cap, Wilson will carry a $35.4 million salary cap hit in 2024 despite playing like an average, replacement-level quarterback for most of his Broncos career. That’s a significant financial anchor on a roster that expected a superstar passer.
On the flip side, if the Broncos did actually cut Wilson next year, they’d have to eat $85 million in dead cap money. Woof. Talk about an anchor. That number drops to a more manageable $31.2 million in 2025, putting a tough decision in the Broncos’ hands. At the very least, they might want to draft or acquire a young quarterback of the future to start preparing for life without Wilson, regardless of their call for next season.
