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Quarterback Russell Wilson has hardly been the problem for the Denver Broncos in 2023.
Wilson has seemingly returned to his old self, ranking third in passer rating through four games under head coach Sean Payton. The rest of the team hasn’t followed suit and Denver sits at 1-3.
If the Broncos fail to improve, it might be time for a rebuild next offseason, according to Mile High Huddle’s Bob Morris, and that “would likely mean parting ways with Wilson.”
Morris detailed how a Wilson trade could work.
“First of all, when a player is traded, the cap effect is immediate,” he wrote in a story published October 3. “You can’t give a trade a post-June 1 designation. Only if a trade is made after June 1 do you get that benefit in terms of spreading out dead money over two seasons. Therefore, if the Broncos traded Wilson in March 2024, they would take a $68M dead money charge and lose $32.6M in cap space, per Over the Cap’s cap calculator.”
Wilson is due for an option bonus of $22M for 2024. The option bonus is treated like a signing bonus if the option is exercised. However, if the quarterback were to be traded, the $22M “wouldn’t apply to the Broncos’ dead money hit because the acquiring team would pay the option bonus.”
According to Morris, another possibility would be keeping Wilson through 2024 and then trading him a year later.
“In that situation, the Broncos would take a $49.6M dead money charge but free up $5.8M in cap space. The team would also be able to move the $37M base salary for 2025, which would become fully guaranteed in 2024. A 2025 trade, of course, would depend on how well Wilson is playing in 2024.”
Morris says “a 2024 trade would make sense if done before the Broncos have to pick up the option bonus due.”
Wilson has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he must approve any trade for him that the Broncos make. Denver will likely be stuck with his contract for the foreseeable future.
If Wilson continues to play well, that may not be a raw deal for the Broncos.
Wilson Reached Key NFL Achievement in Week 4 Comeback Win
Lost in the excitement of the Broncos’ Week win was another milestone for Wilson, who moved into 10th place for most comeback wins in NFL history.
“After leading the team in a 21-point comeback victory, QB Russell Wilson now has 32 career fourth-quarter comebacks (reg. + postseason). Surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana (31) and former Pro Bowl QB Eli Manning (31), Wilson’s 32 such victories are the 10th-most in NFL history,” according to USA Today’s Brad Washington.
The win over the Chicago Bears was Wilson’s fourth comeback win in a Broncos uniform. His last comeback came in a 21-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London during the 2022 campaign.
The veteran quarterback has also made a comeback statistically in 2023.
According to ESPN, Wilson is tied for second in passing touchdowns and trails only Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa in passer rating.
Broncos See Fallout of Wilson Trade During Monday Night Football
Quarterback Drew Lock and tight end Noah Fant were included in the Broncos’ blockbuster trade for Wilson in March 2022. Both players contributed to the Seattle Seahawks win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football to end Week 4.
Lock briefly took the field before halftime, with starter Geno Smith questionable to return with a knee injury. Despite the limited playing time, Lock led a 75-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 51-yard reception to Fant.
Once Smith returned to the field after halftime, Lock’s night was finished. Although the former second-round pick performed reasonably well, completing 2-of-6 passes for 63 and had one run for 11 yards.
The Broncos also sent the Seahawks their first-round pick from last season, which ended up being a top-5 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Seattle used the pick on University of Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon. The rookie had a night to remember against the Giants.
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