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The Denver Broncos have benched Russell Wilson.
On Wednesday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton was no longer feeling the holiday cheer and confirmed that the team has decided to bench its starting quarterback despite still having a slim chance of making the postseason.
Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will start the remaining two games for the Broncos.
Many reports have surfaced that the Broncos made the move to avoid a potential $37 million guarantee if Wilson is injured. There are reports that the Broncos threatened to bench Wilson weeks ago if he did not remove his guarantees.
Sources to @BleacherReport: The #Broncos threatened to bench Russell Wilson weeks ago if he didn’t remove his injury guarantees.
Russell Wilson’s benching by the Broncos today is solely financially related and has been in the works for weeks, per multiple sources with direct… pic.twitter.com/pmq172Cm1H
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 27, 2023
However, Coach Payton says that is not the case and insists the move is because of performance.
“Look, I can tell you we’re desperately trying to win,” Payton told reporters, via denversports.com. “Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things, but the number one push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively.”
Sean Payton explains his decision to bench Russell Wilson pic.twitter.com/YkHzvFNGrd
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) December 27, 2023
Wilson’s $37 million injury guarantee becomes fully guaranteed in March, so the Broncos will use the next two weeks to see how Stidham performs and whether they will decide to move on without him.
Ahead of the 2022 season, the Broncos traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant for Wilson, who would sign a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos.
Wilson never lived up to expectations, and now his time in Mile High could be coming to an end.
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