Russell Wilson will not suit up for Denver this weekend as the Broncos face off against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Broncos, 7-8 on the year, have an outside chance of reaching the playoffs, but they would need a lot of help. As for Russell Wilson, the Broncos announced last week that Wilson would be benched, though the reasoning is almost purely financial.
Russell Wilson’s contract has $39 million guaranteed for next season. However, if he was unable to pass a physical in early March 2024, he would get an additional $37 million, meaning there’s little point from Denver’s perspective to risk injury for what is likely to end in the Broncos being left out of the playoffs regardless.
A report this past week shed light on the fact that Denver had originally asked Wilson earlier in the year to restructure his contract following a win over Kansas City during Denver’s bye week.
On Friday, reporters asked Wilson if he would be willing to talk about the situation. He did not have to talk to them about it but chose to do so anyway.
Here’s what Wilson had to say:
“They came to me during the bye week, the beginning of the bye week, and told me that if I didn’t change my contact, injury-guaranteed, I’d be benched for the rest of the year,” Wilson said. “We had 9 games left or so. I was definitely disappointed by it, and it was a process throughout the whole bye week.”
Wilson continued, saying he’s just focused on following through on his commitment to the Broncos and towards winning a championship in Denver. He also insisted that he wants to stay in the Mile High city and will guide Jarrett Stidham as Denver moves forward.
“I think for me, I came to play here, to win. I knew it was going to be a process,” Russell Wilson said. “I signed a 7-year deal for us to go and play hard, that’s my goal every time I step between the white lines, give everything I have. I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to be able to win here, I want to win championships here, I want to give my all every week. No matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the score it, and I want to be the best teammate and leader that I can be in the midst of it all. That’s why I was out here at practice every day. I told Jarrett (Stidham) I’d lead him, help him do whatever it takes, keep the guys going, try to lead the right way. That’s all I know.”
Here’s more from Wilson:
Asked Russell Wilson if he wanted to talk. @ParkerJGabriel asked him as well as we talked with Russell. He agreed. He was very candid about his disappointment about #Broncos approaching him about adjusting contract during bye week. He said he still would like to stay in Denver.… pic.twitter.com/Kplo1iAUlg
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) December 29, 2023
Russell Wilson’s future outlook
It’s uncertain what the Broncos will decide to do with Wilson, but it’d be a pretty expensive cut should they decide to move on. Denver would owe Wilson $85 million if they kept him past this season. However, his stay on the roster will make signing a big-name free agent tough.
For now at least, the Broncos want to keep him as No. 2, meaning an imminent trade is unlikely.
Wilson’s numbers have been good, but not quite elite this season, which is why the Broncos are pensive. The veteran QB has thrown for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns (6th in the league) and just 8 interceptions, a strong mark among starters.