All indications are that Russell Wilson has played his last football for the Broncos. But some of the quarterback’s teammates are still processing his late-year bench role, telling ESPN that he came “out of nowhere” and frustrated a significant portion of the locker room.
“It was a surprise to everyone in the locker room,” wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said of Wilson’s demotion. “(Coach Sean Payton) just told us out of nowhere.”
Specifically, according to ESPN, Payton addressed the team on December 27, three days after Denver lost to the Patriots in Week 16 to fall to 7-8 on the season. Wilson publicly alleged that the Broncos threatened to bench him early in 2023 if he didn’t adjust an injury guarantee in his contract, but Payton insisted the QB change was only intended to provide a “spark” for a struggling attack.
Regardless, the move upset some players after Wilson gave “everything he had” in 2023, an unidentified veteran told ESPN. A number of others were apparently “pissed off” on behalf of the QB, who served as a backup in the final two games of the season.
Looking ahead, Wilson is expected to be released before 2024 in free agency, as Denver can avoid paying the QB a $37 million bonus by designating him as a post-June 1 cut in early March. Originally acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Seahawks ahead of the 2022 season, the longtime Seattle player went just 11-19 as the Broncos’ starter over two seasons.
