After a bumpy exit from the Seattle Seahawks, Russell Wilson appears to be on the verge of leaving the Denver Broncos to play for his third NFL team. Rumors are swirling that Wilson could join the team’s AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders.
Wilson has long been linked to the Raiders dating back to the infamous “wish list” leaked by the quarterback’s agent Mark Rodgers during his Seattle tenure. One NFC executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the Raiders make the most sense for Wilson.
“”[The Raiders] need a vet, and they are one of Wilson’s original teams he wanted to go to,” the exec noted in a January 24, 2024 feature titled, “NFL exec predictions: Destinations for Russ, Baker and Kirk.” “He’d stay in the [AFC West], West Coast, and [Wilson’s wife] Ciara can do a [Las Vegas] residency [as a live performer].”
Seahawks Rumors: The Broncos Are Expected to Release Russell Wilson in the Coming Months
To be clear, Wilson is not yet a free agent with his five-year, $242 million contract slated to run through 2028. Yet, all signs point to the Broncos moving on from Wilson this offseason, even if it means taking the $85 million dead cap hit.
Wilson is unlikely to have a trade market given his sizable deal. The buzz around the league is that the Broncos will end up releasing Wilson this offseason, per Fowler.
“The Broncos insist they have not decided on Wilson’s long-term future with the franchise,” Fowler wrote in a January 16 story titled, “The market for Russell Wilson, and the Broncos’ options.”
“But since most around the league aren’t buying the notion of him returning, his imminent departure would leave Denver with two primary options: Designate him as a post-June 1 release, setting up the Broncos to incur dead cap hits of $35.4 million in 2024 and $49.6 million in 2025,” Fowler continued.
“Try to swing a trade, which would soften the dead cap blow a bit. The second option would be incredibly tough to pull off. Wilson’s contract is far from desirable, especially for teams that can just wait for Denver to release him.”
Raiders News: Could Las Vegas Make a Run at Rival QB Russell Wilson?
While the Raiders make some sense, Wilson’s next landing spot is not immediately clear. The Raiders are still searching for the team’s quarterback of the future under new head coach Antonio Pierce.
The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment did not go as planned. Las Vegas could be willing to take a flyer on Wilson, but this is unlikely to prevent the franchise from also adding a young signal-caller.
It remains to be seen if Wilson will get an opportunity to be a starting quarterback in 2024. Wilson could have more potential options if the former Pro Bowler is willing to serve as a backup next season.
The Minnesota Vikings Are a Potential Landing Spot for Russell Wilson
Fowler labeled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons as other potential options for Wilson. Another team to watch is the Minnesota Vikings with the Kirk Cousins era potentially ending.
“Don’t be surprised if Wilson, should he become a free agent, is intrigued by Minnesota, assuming Kirk Cousins doesn’t re-sign with the Vikings (a big question),” Fowler noted. “Kevin O’Connell comes from the Sean McVay passing tree that maximizes quarterback efficiency. Wilson would have plenty of weapons in a group that includes Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison.”
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Ex-Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Predicted to Bolt Broncos for Nemesis