Denver Broncos fans have spent two years hearing about the Russell Wilson contract fallout. Now it’s gone viral again, with Denver hosting the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game while still carrying a massive Wilson-related cap charge on the books.
A social graphic making the rounds this week put it bluntly: “The Broncos are currently paying Russell Wilson more money than their entire offensive skill unit … combined.” The number attached to that claim is $32 million, the final season of the Broncos’ dead-money hit stemming from Wilson’s release. The comparison puts that $32M above the totals of Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix, RJ Harvey, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Evan Engram.
It’s a juicy social media nugget, a stat cut a certain way to make a dramatic point, but the reality still remains that Wilson’s tenure with the Broncos is still a major storyline.
The Broncos are currently paying Russell Wilson more money than their entire offensive skill unit for their 2025 AFC Championship game (including Bo Nix).
$32M: Russell Wilson
$31.7M: Stidham, Nix, Harvey, Sutton, Franklin, Bryant, Engram
The Broncos are still carrying Russell Wilson’s $32M cap hit
Here’s the clean explanation for how is Denver still paying Russell Wilson?
When the Broncos released Wilson in March 2024, they took on an NFL-record $85 million in dead money spread across two seasons. Denver absorbed $53 million in 2024 and $32 million in 2025.
That’s why the “$32M Russell Wilson” graphic exists. As Sports Illustrated’s explainer noted, it’s more accurate to call it cap space Wilson is still costing Denver, not a weekly paycheck being mailed to him right now.
Still, the practical impact is the same: $32 million that can’t be spent elsewhere during a season when the Broncos have reached the conference title game.
What it means for Denver, even with an AFC title game roster
Denver’s run has come with adversity, too. The Broncos advanced by beating the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime, but second-year quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending broken ankle, meaning backup QB Jarrett Stidham is in line to start the AFC Championship.
That context is what makes the cap conversation pop: the same week Denver is trying to reach the Super Bowl, fans are re-litigating the “cap jail” years and how the roster had to be built around them.
Broncos vs. Patriots last game: Wilson vs. Bailey Zappe
Bailey Zappe and Russell Wilson.
The last time the Broncos and Patriots met? Wilson quarterbacked the team and it proved to be a most memorable recent meeting came on Dec. 24, 2023; when Bailey Zappe’s Patriots beat Wilson’s Broncos 26-23 in Denver on a last-second 56-yard Chad Ryland field goal.
Wilson nearly stole it late, throwing two fourth-quarter TD passes as Denver erased a 16-point deficit before New England’s kick ended it.
The Broncos hold a 17-12 win-loss record over the Patriots, according to New England’s official team preview.
Russell Wilson stats, current team, and career decision
Russell Wilson is facing an offseason with many questions:
- What team is Russell Wilson playing for? Most recently, the New York Giants (though he’s headed toward another decision point).
- Russell Wilson stats (most recent season): In 2025 with New York, Wilson appeared in 6 games and threw for 831 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT. For his career, Wilson has 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdowns, 114 interceptions, while completing 65% of his passes
- Russell Wilson career decision: Multiple reports this month indicate Wilson is not planning to retire and intends to try to play in 2026, likely with a new team.
Russell Wilson Still Looms Over Broncos vs. Patriots AFC Championship