INDIANAPOLIS — The Broncos might not be able to recoup any – forget about most – of the assets they traded two years ago for Russell Wilson now that a divorce is imminent.
As Wilson continues to say that the Broncos threatened to bench him last season if he didn’t forfeit the injury guarantee in his salary – as he did most recently Monday on the “I am Athlete” podcast – general manager George Paton hinted that the only resolution to an untenable situation could be to release the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
“I haven’t heard anything from any teams,” Paton said when asked about a trade market, “so we’ll see.”
Wilson’s $37 million salary for the 2025 season becomes fully guaranteed in a few weeks (March 17), but the Broncos are not planning to wait until then – when free agency is underway – to make a move.
“I expect that we are going to know fairly quickly,” head coach Sean Payton said, laying out a schedule that included meetings with Broncos ownership next Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Somewhere in the neighborhood of next week. There are a couple factors here. The cap projections came out, we are further down the road with the draft class and the pro free agents, so I would anticipate it within the next two weeks.”
The Broncos traded three players and four draft picks, including two first-rounders, to the Seahawks for Wilson and then signed him to a five-year, $242 million contract before he played one game for the franchise.
The completely unexpected happened as he struggled under head coach Nathaniel Hackett and didn’t fully rebound in his first year with Payton despite a long-time interest in playing for the former Saints head coach.
Paton said that everything the Broncos did in handling Wilson’s playing status and contract was “above board.”
If the Broncos move on from Wilson, they could enter the Kirk Cousins free-agent sweepstakes or turn to the draft (pick No. 12 in the first round) for an answer.
Payton reportedly is enamored with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The quarterback uncertainty is a new situation for Payton, who enjoyed 15 years of quarterback certainty with Drew Brees.
“We better [embrace the challenge],” Payton said. “In this league, which is very competitive in our decision, I think it’s vital. I saw a humorous meme the other day: It was a Bronco fan with a shirt on and eight quarterbacks’ names with a cross through it and he is drinking the quarterback Kool-aid. Our job is to make this next [quarterback] doesn’t have a line through it.”
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