Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets is not pleased with how the Denver Broncos treated Russell Wilson, but he is proud of how his NFL counterpart and fellow quarterback handled the matter.
For Rodgers, what the Broncos did–threatening to bench him for financial reasons and then eventually benching him–was “scandalous.”
While most quarterbacks would remain mute in such a scenario, Wilson spoke about it and remained classy throughout, which Rodgers respected.
For those who are unaware, the Broncos elected to start Wilson on the bench in their most recent Week 17 game. It appears to be for financial reasons, as they do not want to trigger the $37 million guaranteed money in his contract if he is hurt.
Later, reports circulated that the Broncos intend to release Wilson in the offseason in order to maintain financial flexibility and, possibly, locate a quarterback who will fit Sean Payton’s system better. Wilson is guaranteed $39 million in 2024 under his deal.
Wilson’s predicament is strange, especially given that he is enjoying a significantly better year than last. In fact, Wilson is ranked in the top ten in the country for touchdown passes and passer rating in 2023. Although his performance has clearly not resulted in many wins for Denver, he is not solely to blame for their inconsistency.
Wilson addressed the controversy surrounding his benching after it became public, admitting that the team approached him last October (after their Week 8 win over the Kansas City Chiefs) about perhaps changing his contract or benching him.
“They came up to me during the bye week and beginning of the bye week, Monday or Tuesday, they told me if I didn’t change my contract, my injury guarantee, that I’d be benched the rest of the year,” Wilson said in an interview with FOX Sports.
“I was absolutely let down by it. It was a procedure that lasted the whole bye week. We had just beaten the Chiefs, and I was looking forward to us fighting for the playoffs and being on a roll. At some time, the NFLPA and NFL became engaged.”
The veteran quarterback also expressed disappointment with his benching, saying it startled him because he “felt like we were doing something special and rolling.”
Overall, the Denver Broncos have suffered as a result of the controversy. The fact that they were threatening to bench Russell Wilson did not sit well with many, with recent reports indicating that they may have to pay more money in free agency as players were unhappy with their actions.
Aaron Rodgers, for one, couldn’t help but admire Wilson for remaining classy and speaking up. Other quarterbacks, as previously stated, would have likely remained silent and just requested a trade away from the organization when handled in this manner, but the 35-year-old instead told his side of the tale.
“I think Russell Wilson has handled what happened in Denver pretty well, and I applaud him for speaking out about it,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show.
“That’s a pretty scandalous situation and he was definitely playing better than he did last year.”
Indeed, Rodgers’ remarks will only serve to further tarnish the Broncos. After all, if they can threaten someone of Wilson’s stature over what appears to be an illegal move, what else can they do?
It’s unclear how the Broncos will handle the matter, but it appears they have a lot more issues to deal with than just finding a new quarterback in the offseason.
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