The Russell Wilson era is seemingly coming to a close for the Denver Broncos.
According to a report, the veteran quarterback expects to be cut by the team in March.
It’s a development that evidently isn’t coming as a major surprise to him.
Russell Wilson is expecting to be cut by the Denver Broncos in March, per league sources. For almost two months, the quarterback has been starting knowing the organization was most likely going to move on him from after this season.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 28, 2023
The Broncos are expected to start Jarrett Stidham at quarterback for the remainder of the regular season, meaning Wilson may have already taken his final snap for the organization.
Wilson is in his second season with the team.
The Broncos reached out to Wilson's representatives in late October and explained that Wilson would lose the starting job and be made inactive for the rest of the season if he did not defer the injury guarantee trigger date that he has for 2025, per multiple league sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 28, 2023
The Broncos are 7-8 this season and haven’t been eliminated from playoff contention, but they would need a lot to fall their way in order for them to steal a postseason bid.
Wilson has $37 million in injury guarantees for 2025 that will become guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2024 league year in March. Lawyers, including some with the NFLPA, were involved, and no changes were made to the contract.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 28, 2023
In 15 games for Denver this season, Wilson has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Many of the veteran’s numbers have improved after he put together an extremely forgettable first season with the team, but he’s still averaging a mere 204.7 passing yards per game this season for a Broncos offense that ranks just 16th in points per game (21.8) and 25th in yards per game (298.2).
Denver has lost two straight games and three of its last four, a stretch that has significantly damaged the team’s playoff hopes.
Wilson has an impressive overall resume that features nine Pro Bowl nods and one Super Bowl ring, but his best years may be over, leaving fans to wonder what’s next for him if the Broncos do indeed cut him.
Denver’s final two games in the 2023 regular season will come against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Once the offseason arrives, the Broncos may need to start evaluating their future at quarterback. The 2024 NFL Draft features some talented prospects at the position, so that may be a route that the team tries to take. The franchise certainly had different expectations for the Wilson era.
In the meantime, Stidham will get a chance to show what he can do. The 27-year-old hasn’t seen much action this season, but that’s about to change. He was originally a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
