Before becoming the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback in 2022 and putting together a campaign that was both exceptional and surprising enough to be named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year, Geno Smith had spent the three years prior as Russell Wilson's backup. Now, in the wake of Russell Wilson's surprising benching for Jarrett Stidham with just two games left in the 2023 regular season, Smith took to X to offer support for the man he spent countless hours working with in Seattle, getting ready for his comeback.

The good news for Geno Smith: Russell Wilson is going to be freed, he just won't be freed until after the season. With Sean Payton and the Broncos sending Russ to the bench, it all but confirms that they're willing to take one on the chin and move on from the man who was supposed to lead Denver back to the promised land. The question now becomes, where will Russ get his next opportunity to cook?

There's certainly no doubt that Wilson is not the same player he was at his peak in Seattle, but if 2023 proved anything, it's that he's not totally spent just yet. After a tremendously disappointing 2022 debut season in Denver, Wilson has bounced back in year two with the Broncos, putting up numbers — 3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, four 4th quarter comebacks, four game winning drives — that at least resemble what he was did a Seahawks uniform.

That's part of what makes the decision to send Wilson to the bench at this point in the season so surprising. Even after losing a Christmas Eve game versus New England, Denver is still mathematically alive for a playoff berth. Does turning to Jarrett Stidham give the Broncos a better chance to win this year? There's not a whole lot of Jarrett Stidham tape out there, but given the fact that he's 0-2 in his career as a starter, I'll just go ahead and play the numbers and say no, he does not give the Broncos a better chance to win this year.

But then again, with the state of things in Denver, Sean Payton is more than willing to punt on this season, get rid of Wilson's contract, and find his quarterback of the future sometime in 2024.