Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, will sit on the bench for the last two weeks of the regular season.
After beating the Green Bay Packers by two points in late October, the team won five straight games. However, they have lost three of their last four games since then. Wilson has gotten better this season under new Broncos coach Sean Payton, but the relationship between the coach and QB has been tense at times.
Wilson threw for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks in the loss to the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve. But he had a hard time in the first three quarters of the game before coming on late and helping the team score points.
Wilson will not play again this season because of something other than his performance. There are also financial concerns that the company seems to be thinking about.
NFL Network says that the Broncos want to keep their financial options open for the summer.
Wilson is set to make about $37 million in 2025, and that money will start to grow in March of this year. NFL Network reported that if the quarterback gets hurt badly at any point this season, it would make things more expensive.
Wilson refused to change his deal and kept playing. He helped the Broncos win three straight games after the bye week, which took them from being irrelevant to in the running for the playoffs. They’ve lost three of their last four games since then, and their chances of making the playoffs are getting lower.
With two games left, Denver chose to switch quarterbacks. Wilson was put on the bench this week, which made him deal with the sudden uncertainty about his future.
For Denver’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback.
“You know I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to be able to win here, I want to win championships here, I want to give my all every week, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the score is, and I want to be the best teammate and leader that I can be in the midst of it all,” Wilson shared with the media on December 29, 2023.
“So that’s why I was out here at practice every day, and told Jarrett I’d help him and lead and do whatever it takes to keep the guys going on and try to lead the right way. That’s all I know,” he continued.
Over the weekend, the Broncos’ chances of making the playoffs took a big hit, but the team is still in the running.
At the moment, Denver has a record of 7-8 and is ranked 12th in the AFC.
