On Monday, the Broncos announced that, as expected, they’ll be moving on from quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson’s said in reaction (among other things), “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”
Yes, it will be a tough year for Wilson. He’ll make $39 million in football income.
It’s part of the massive contract the Broncos gave him after the 2022 trade and before he ever played in a game for the team. The deal included $124 million, fully guaranteed at signing. That was after the Broncos gave a massive bounty to the Seahawks to trade for him.
His contract also was structured in a way that forces the Broncos to let him get to the market early, with $37 million in 2025 salary due to become fully guaranteed in only 12 days.
The Broncos wanted to make it work. They don’t want to pay him $39 million (less whatever he gets elsewhere) to not play for them. They don’t want to eat $85 million in cap charges over the next two years.
It’s not personal. It’s business. And it’s still very good business for Wilson.
He gets $124 million for two years in Denver. He gets a shot at unfettered free agency. He gets to pick his next team. If he’s still a great player, he’ll get a chance to prove the Broncos wrong for moving on from him.
The glass is half full. More than half full. At a time when millions are going through tough times, Russ truly is cooking. Don’t feel bad for him. For as bad as his contract was for the Broncos, it was great for Russ.