Broncos Expected To Part Ways With Russell Wilson After 2023 Season

The Denver Broncos will reportedly cut or trade quarterback Russell Wilson at the end of the 2023 season. With the team effectively eliminated from playoff contention, Wilson will be replaced by backup Jarrett Stidham for the next two weeks.

Wilson’s impending departure was first reported Wednesday, with sources also claiming that the team has spent much of the season trying to restructure his contract. As is, the quarterback is scheduled to receive $39 million in 2024 and $37 million in 2025. That 2025 money would become guaranteed if Wilson was still on the team in March.

Wilson seemed to respond to the reports late Wednesday night on social media.

“God’s got me,” Wilson wrote. “Looking forward to what’s next.”

After nearly two full seasons with the Broncos, it is fair now to consider Wilson’s tenure in Denver disappointing. Since moving on from Seattle in 2022, the quarterback has only thrown for 300 yards in a single game on three occasions. His overall passer rating as a Bronco is 90.9.

As for the team’s performance during his tenure, Denver has struggled accordingly. Under two different head coaches since Wilson arrived, the team has fallen well below once-lofty expectations and earned a combined 12-20 record. In an AFC West division dominated by the Chiefs, the Broncos have never seriously challenged them and have more closely resembled the hapless Raiders and dysfunctional Chargers.

It is unlikely that Stidham is a permanent solution under center for Denver, though the team seems to be sitting Wilson to give him more snaps. Stidham most recently played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and previously made a handful of starts for the New England Patriots.

As things stand now, the Broncos have a 7-8 record and would receive the 14th pick in the upcoming draft, leaving them well out of contention to receive the most promising 2023 quarterback prospects. The team will have to deal with cap space issues regardless of whether it trades or releases Wilson, though the amount of guaranteed money that the team absorbs depends on the terms of his departure.