Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of speculation about the future of Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos, especially after Wilson made it clear that he would like to remain with the Broncos next season. But one NFL insider simply does not think his return is going to happen.
In a column on Wednesday night, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out the brutal truth for Russell Wilson: he will not be returning to the Broncos next season under any circumstances.
“The die was cast the moment Wilson was benched. The decision to put him on the sideline before Denver was mathematically eliminated from the 2023 postseason constitutes a proclamation to the world that he’s not, in the opinion of coach Sean Payton, a franchise quarterback,” Florio wrote for Pro Football Talk
“Which means they don’t want to pay him like one. Which means they won’t pay him $37 million fully guaranteed in 2025. They already owe him $39 million in 2024. They’ll cut him after the league year begins, designate the move as a post-June 1 transaction, take the cap hit over 2024 and 2025, avoid the 2025 salary, and move on.”
And as Florio points out, Sean Payton tipped his hand when he commented about the team’s future at quarterback, referring to “this next guy” instead of Wilson.
“I saw this humorous meme the other day where there’s a Broncos fan with a shirt on with like eight quarterback’s names crossed through them and he’s drinking the quarterback Kool-Aid,” Payton said. “Our job is to make sure this next one doesn’t have a line through it.”
Obviously, this is pretty brutal news for Russell Wilson, and the NFL world had a lot to say about it on social media.
FACT.
— #AllAz (@OnlyAzSports) February 29, 2024
Payton made it clear Wilson was done in Denver when he benched him.
— Brent Johnson (@OUCats88) February 29, 2024
The qb “kool aid” pic.twitter.com/z35WExlsM8
— baylock (@authorbaylock) February 29, 2024
Sean Payton should have been banned from football for life after Bountygate. Paying players to injure other players is inexcusable. He should be gone.
— Phil Hoskins (@SanClementePhil) February 29, 2024
There's no way the Denver Broncos will keep Russell Wilson https://t.co/pjGiZiiSWw
— MyWayOnNow (@MyWayOnNow) February 29, 2024
It sounds like it’s over in Denver for Wilson.
