Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton got right down to business.
Within seconds of starting his media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine, Payton opened it up to questions. He fielded one on Russell Wilson first.
Wilson, 35, is going into the first year of a five-year, $242.6 million contract. But many around the league expect the Broncos to release him. They will absorb an $85 million cap hit; either this season or split between the next two campaigns.
Whether they decide to keep Wilson or not, Payton expects a decision to come fairly soon.
“We go through the combine week here. Next week – I think Tuesday, Wednesday – we’ll be in meetings with ownership. So I expect that we’re going to know fairly quickly. I said at the Super Bowl, but I think more specifically I think somewhere in the neighborhood next week we’re gonna [know],” Payton told reporters on February 27.
“There’s a couple factors here. Obviously, the cap projections came out, we’re further down the road with the draft class, obviously the pro free agents. So I would anticipate it being within the next two weeks.”
This is in line with his previous comments during Super Bowl week. Then, Payton also talked about the timeline and all of the moving parts that will factor into their decision on Wilson.
At the time, Payton also agreed that he had yet to become enamored with a quarterback.
“The question was finding the right solution to quarterback,” Payton said on Tuesday in similar sentiments. “In this league – which is, obviously, very competitive – in our division, I think it’s vital.
“I saw this humorous meme the other day where there was a Bronco fan with a shirt on and there was like eight quarterbacks names with a cross through it, and he’s drinking the quarterback Kool-Aid. And our job is to make sure that this next one doesn’t have a line through it.”
Russell Wilson Wants to Win ‘2′ Super Bowls in the Next 5 Years
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the Denver Broncos.
This all comes on the heels of Wilson’s interview with former Broncos star and Seahawks teammate Brandon Marshall on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast.
“I got more fire than ever, honestly. Especially over the past two years of what I’ve gone through, whether if it’s in Denver or somewhere else. I hope it’s in Denver. I hope I get to finish there I committed there, I wanted to be there, I want to be there,” Wilson told Marshall on the episode, which aired on February 25.
“For me, it’s about winning. It’s about winning. Over the next five years, I want to win two [Super Bowls]. I want to feel the chill of that trophy again. So, yeah, I want to go back to Denver. I hope I get to go back. I’d love to go back, to be honest with you.”
Payton outlined what a prototype quarterback looked like – careful to say that he has worked with all types – and what he expects from the position: accuracy and quick processing.
The underlying theme continues to be that it’s not what Wilson brings to the table.
Sean Payton: Broncos Held Marvin Mims Back
GettyMarvin Mims Jr. #19 of the Denver Broncos.
While Payton was nebulous at best about the quarterback situation, he did provide some encouraging words for one offensive player in particular. It was former second-round pick Marvin Mims who Payton expects bigger things from in 2024.
“With Mims, we saw him flourish as a returner. And I really think the only thing that really stopped his progress as a receiver was us,” Payton said. “Trying to find roles, he’s playing the same position as Jerry [Jeudy]. And so I’ve said that a number of times, ‘Man, I think you’re going to see a lot of growth with this player.’
“He’s tough, he can run, and we’re certainly excited we have him.
“I think his progress was hampered a little bit more with the depth in the room, and what we were able to do in sometimes trying to balance that out. I think we’ll see that expand.”
Jeudy has been a popular trade candidate in the rumor mill. But Payton did not elaborate on whether or not his potential departure this offseason via trade is part of the Broncos’ plan to get Mims more involved.
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Broncos’ Sean Payton Sets Expected Timeline for Decision on Russell Wilson