By Arnie Stapleton AP Professional Soccer Author
The Denver Broncos informed Russell Wilson on Monday that they’ll launch him subsequent week, simply 18 months after signing the Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback to a five-year, $242 million contract extension.
The Broncos nonetheless owe Wilson his $39 million wage for 2024 minus no matter he’d signal for with one other staff, which might probably be the veteran’s minimal wage of $1.21 million.
One potential touchdown spot is Pittsburgh. The Steelers are set to go to Denver subsequent season.
The Broncos additionally will take a report $89 million hit in lifeless cap expenses over the following two seasons.
Wilson loved a bounce-back 12 months final season beneath new head coach Sean Payton, throwing for 26 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 15 video games.
However it wasn’t adequate and Payton benched him for Jarrett Stidham for the ultimate two video games. Stidham went 1-1 and the Broncos completed 8-9, their seventh straight shedding season and their eighth in a row exterior the playoffs.
Payton hinted at an impending cut up on the NFL scouting mix final week when speaking about Denver’s lengthy string of middling quarterbacks and instructed his job was to verify “the following one” was the fitting QB to steer the Broncos again into rivalry.
Wilson, who had gone radio silent on social media at Payton’s request a 12 months in the past, resumed sharing movies of his exercises and over the weekend he eliminated all Broncos references from his profile on X (previously Twitter).
Wilson was acquired in 2022 from the Seattle Seahawks, the place he received a Tremendous Bowl title after the 2013 season, for a bevy of draft picks (two first-rounders and two seconds) and gamers (Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris).
He signed an almost quarter-billion greenback extension earlier than enjoying a single down in Denver after which went 4-11 in his first season beneath coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired after 15 video games.
Payton had Wilson dial again his social media presence a 12 months in the past and a centered and match Wilson confirmed as much as coaching camp 20 kilos lighter.
He went 7-8 earlier than being benched. Wilson contended the Broncos had threatened to bench him for the ultimate 9 video games if he did not push again his $37 million harm assure in his contract.
He declined to regulate his contract and began seven extra video games earlier than getting benched in what Payton insisted was a soccer transfer, not a monetary one.
Wilson’s $37 million wage for 2025 would have develop into assured if he have been nonetheless on Denver’s roster on March 13, the beginning of the league’s new 12 months.