Russell Wilson was benched by the Broncos on Wednesday afternoon. After being defeated by the New England Patriots, Denver raised the white flag, declaring that Wilson’s time in Denver had come to an end. The Broncos organization has crumbled after two years of tremendous highs and some of the lowest lows. This team will remain mired in mediocrity as a result of their failure. Broncos supporters will suffer as they continue their never-ending hunt for a decent quarterback, and their young stars will trash their careers.
Colorado was stunned in March 2022 when their quarterback troubles were finally addressed. After going six years without a reliable quarterback, the Broncos made a deal for future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson. The community could exhale a sigh of relief as a player who had demolished them in a Super Bowl and had only one losing season took over in Denver. The Broncos may have given up all of their draft picks as well as a few of their best players, but it didn’t matter. Everything was fine in Denver, and the Broncos were poised to win two Super Bowls!
That did not occur. The two years that followed were a failure. The Broncos have not only failed to win a Super Bowl, but they have also failed to make the playoffs. Wilson had 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his debut year in Denver, but just five victories. Nathaniel Hackett, his head coach at the time, was fired after a record-breaking 15 games. People wrote Wilson off after that season, believing he had lost touch with his past abilities.
However, the Broncos acquired Sean Payton in a deal in February 2023. As the new head coach, he was confident in his ability to assist Wilson. Wilson has improved significantly in the 15 games he has coached. Wilson has 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in his career. However, the squad can’t seem to win when it matters the most and will most certainly miss the playoffs. As a result of the failure and the absurd amount of money Wilson is worth, the Broncos have chosen to sit Wilson for the rest of the season. Wilson is anticipated to be let go in March. Wilson’s next move is to find a new home in the NFL.
Now that it’s over, the Broncos will have to reap the consequences of what they sowed. The Broncos will owe Russell Wilson $39 million in 2024 whether he is on the team or not. The year after, they will owe Wilson a little less than $50 million whether he is on the team or not. This means, that for the next two years, the Broncos will have a total of $85 million in dead cap space.
This will completely cripple the team in offseason spending, making it almost impossible to be competitive in the free agent market. With the quarterback situation being as bad as having Jerrett Stidham as the starter, the Broncos seem to be doomed. The carousel of quarterbacks is bound to continue. Yet, with all of the negativity, there are some bright spots.
After selling away their last two first-round picks, the Broncos will be allowed to choose in the top 20 this year for the first time. They are currently picking 14th overall. The quarterback position is loaded with talent in the 2024 draft. One of them will almost certainly fall to the Broncos. The Broncos have several rising talents as well. As guys like Nik Bonitto and Jaleel McLaughlin establish themselves as future stars, Denver hopes to develop a young quarterback around them.
For the time being, Broncos Nation should be angry. Their organization and general manager have once again failed them. Their decisions will hurt the Broncos for years to come, perpetuating the mediocrity cycle. They should, nevertheless, feel some enthusiasm. Denver’s high draft picks and young players may be able to overcome their management in the coming years and finally return the Broncos to relevancy. The only way to know is to wait and see.
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