Russell Wilson's time with the Denver Broncos is likely over, but when he hits free agency for the first time in his 12-year NFL career, there won't be a shortage of teams that will be interested in him.
Russell Wilson's ugly Broncos situation
Wilson has been benched by the Broncos in Week 17 and for the remainder of the 2023 season after his alleged refusal to tweak the injury guarantee in his contract. Instead of risking paying the QB a guaranteed $37 million in case of injury in 2025, Denver has decided to bench him in order to not trigger the clause.
However, it also likely marked the end of Wilson's tenure with the team, with recent reports noting that the 35-year-old signal-caller expects to be released by the team in March.
“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 of The Athletic stated.
“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.”
What's next for Russell Wilson?
Wilson has a no-trade clause in his deal with the Broncos, so cutting him is the only way Denver can get rid of the QB after his partnership with head coach Sean Payton didn't work. According to the latest reports, though, it's unlikely Wilson will help the Colorado franchise by waiving his no-trade clause and getting the team something in return in a trade.
With that said, the next question for Wilson would be which team he could join where he can fulfill his goal of winning the Super Bowl once again. Interestingly, the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have emerged as potential destinations for him, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“After a messy exit, would Wilson — who has a no-trade clause and the chance to be a free agent for the first time in his career — be inclined to help the Broncos by approving a deal? I've talked to several people who believe he likely wouldn't do Denver any favors. As for fits, teams see Atlanta as an ideal one for Wilson, along with possibly Pittsburgh or New England,” Fowler wrote.
It will definitely be interesting to see where Russell Wilson ends up with in the offseason. The Patriots, along with the Minnesota Vikings, have been mentioned previously as top landing spots for him. Nonetheless, there are a lot of other teams who need and who could take a look at him.
The wait to know Wilson's future shouldn't be too long as well, with the Broncos heading to the offseason soon after their failed bid to make the playoffs.
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