Quarterback Russell Wilson of the Broncos is willing to take a significant pay cut in order to start somewhere in the upcoming season.
It seemed like Denver had found their franchise quarterback a few years ago when they pulled off a blockbuster trade for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Rather, the Denver-Wilson union descended into utter chaos, and after two years, they plan to file for divorce.
However, if you follow NFL football closely, you are aware that there were many poor quarterback plays in the previous season. Wilson wants to start and would be a valuable addition for many teams as a starter.
How much does he want to get going? In order to start in the NFL in 2024, he is prepared to accept a significant pay drop.
That’s what Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says after doing some analysis. This is a sample.
Russell Wilson’s benching by the Broncos on March 17 made it clear that they would cut him before his $37 million 2025 salary becomes fully guaranteed. It also seemed likely that Wilson would take the league minimum ($1.21 million) and leave the Broncos with the remaining balance of his fully guaranteed $39 million compensation package for 2024.
Wilson won’t be using that as a backup, though. He will demand a guarantee that he will start in return for his willingness to accept so little.
After acquiring Wilson, the Broncos guaranteed him an astounding $165 million. Of course, none of that money has yet been distributed in actual cash or as a cap hit. The Broncos, though, appear ready to swallow that cash. If they can’t find a trade partner, many anticipate that Wilson will be cut.
Wilson hasn’t even been all that horrible. 2022 was the worst year of his career and not very good.
Wllson finished the previous season with 26 touchdowns against 8 picks while completing 66% of his passes for just over 3000 yards. Is that excellent? No, it’s not exactly the Greatest Show on Turf—3070 yards in 15 games. However, Zach Wilson started a lot of games in this league.
It’s difficult to understand why a lot of teams wouldn’t find it appealing to acquire Russell Wilson at a cap hit of slightly over a million dollars. Kirk Cousins, the quarterback for the Vikings and an unrestricted free agent, will be the first major quarterback domino to fall this offseason. A few players selected with first-round selections in the NFL Draft will also be included. Wilson is still among the better choices, though, for a team in dire need of a quarterback.
In November, Russell Wilson will celebrate his 36th birthday. You would have to assume that he doesn’t have many more good years left. Again, though, there are numerous teams without a strong quarterback option. Wilson is undoubtedly superior to many of those awful
