Sean Payton reveals when Broncos will make final decision on Russell Wilson
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It’s only a matter of time before the Denver Broncos cut ties with Russell Wilson.
On Tuesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, head coach Sean Payton said the team will decide on the quarterback’s future, which will come in the “next two weeks,” via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.
While the organization could retain Wilson, that’s highly unlikely. He’s 11-19 in two seasons with Denver. In 2023, the Broncos benched him in Week 17 in favor of Jarrett Stidham, who went 1-1 and posted a below-average 31.1 QBR.
The Super Bowl champion is reportedly accepting offers on his $25M mansion in the Denver metro, meaning he knows the franchise is ready to move on.
“I want to go back to Denver. I hope I get to go back. I’d love to go back, to be honest with you,” the 35-year-old recently told former Pro Bowl WR Brandon Marshall on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. “I love the city and everything else. But you also wanna be in a place that wants you, too.”
Per Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein, when asked whether he listened to the podcast, Payton said “[he] did not hear” it.
The nine-time Pro Bowler’s contract has a no-trade clause, and his 2025 base salary ($37M) is fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster after March 17.
Cutting him would incur $85M in dead money, but the Broncos can use a post-June 1 designation to split costs over the next two seasons.
The Broncos have the 12th overall pick in the draft, within range to take a replacement. ESPN’s Seth Walder believes Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy will be their Week 1 starter.
The Broncos hoped Wilson would turn them into a Super Bowl contender again. In 2022, they traded two first-round picks and more for the former Seattle Seahawks star.
It didn’t pan out, and this trade might go down as one of the worst in league history. Denver has missed the playoffs for eight straight seasons, the second-longest drought in the NFL.
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