Russell Wilson’s Denver Exit Seemingly Teased by Sean Payton

Broncos head coach Sean Payton has seemingly confirmed that Russell Wilson will be cut by the team in the coming weeks. “I saw this humorous meme the other day of a Broncos fan with a shirt on and there were like eight quarterbacks names with a cross through it, and he’s drinking the quarterback Kool-Aid. Our job is to make sure this next one doesn’t have a line through it,” Payton said at the NFL Combine. This comment is widely being taken as a sign that Wilson is on the way out. This is despite the heavy financial penalty the decision comes with.

However, it’s unclear what the future is in Denver. The team could stick with current backup Jarrett Stidham, who started the final two games of the 2023 season. Drafting at No. 12 next month, the Broncos could try to trade up or hope an intriguing QB prospect remains on the board long enough. The problem is that Denver don’t have a lot of money due to what they owe to Wilson.

Read More: Russell Wilson & Pete Carroll Party After Coach’s Departure From Seattle

How Does Russell Wilson Feel About His Future?

Meanwhile, Wilson has remained demure and diplomatic throughout the ordeal. “I’ve got more fire than ever, honestly, especially over the past two years of what I’ve gone through. Whether it’s in Denver or somewhere else, I hope it’s in Denver, I hope I get to finish there. I committed there, I wanted to be there. I want to be there. For me, it’s about winning — over the next two years, I want to win two [Super Bowls], I want to feel the chill of that trophy again. I love the city and everything else, but you also want to be [in] a place that wants you, too. The thing I want to do is to win, that’s all I care about,” Wilson told I AM AN ATHLETE.

Atlanta has emerged as a frontrunner for Wilson’s services if he does leave Denver. However, even when I AM AN ATHLETE host Brandon Marshall read the odds of Wilson’s next team, Wilson remained committed to Denver. “Well, I’m going to put Denver 1, because I’m there right now, but I think you have to have the ability to compartmentalize that. Listen, it’s a business and you’ve got to be non-emotional about it and no matter what you control to what you can control. If it’s not [in Denver], though, I’ve got to go to a place where we can win again,” Wilson said. Where do you think Wilson is going to end up? Let us know in the comments.

Read More: Russell Wilson’s Parenting Praised As He Posts Up With Future Jr.

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Chad Johnson Defends Russell Wilson

Chad Johnson called the NFL a “dirty business” after more information about the rift between Russell Wilson and the Broncos emerged. “It’s a dirty game but at the end of your day, you have to play the game your way,” Johnson lamented. Furthermore, Johnson’s comments come after Wilson confirmed speculation that the Broncos benched him because he refused to make significant adjustments to his contract. “They definitely told me I was going to be benched and all that. That whole bye week I didn’t know what was going to be the case. I wasn’t going to remove the injury guarantee, this game is such a physical game, I’ve played 12 years and all that. And I want to be able to play, I want to be able to help this team win. Every time I step on the field it’s a physical game. I never play timid; I never play scared,” Wilson confirmed to reporters Friday.

Specifically, as Wilson alluded to, the Broncos had wanted the veteran QB to defer an injury guarantee to 2025. Under the current language of Wilson’s contract, he would receive $37M in guaranteed money if he wasn’t able to pass a physical in March 2024. Meanwhile, head coach Sean Payton, who cited the desire to trigger an “offensive spark” when benching Wilson, denied any knowledge of the contract dispute. “I’m not privy to any of those [discussions], I’m handling the football. I know how this has been written. But this decision is strictly what I believe gives us a chance to win No. 8. Hard decision [but there] will be no other reasons,” Payton said.

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Broncos Face A Financial Headache With Russell Wilson

 
 
 
 
 
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In short, the Broncos owe Wilson a lot of money. As a result, benching him potentially saves them having to pay out even more money. However, the team can’t simply just cut the veteran. There is a lot of guaranteed money baked into Wilson’s contract that the Broncos will owe him either way. If they do cut Wilson, they will also be hit with $85M in dead money. That would greatly impact the options that would be available to Payton and the team in replacing Wilson.

However, it’s clear that Wilson isn’t the answer that the Broncos were hoping he would be. While his play has declined somewhat, he is not a terrible quarterback by any means. Despite this, the bigger problem is that the Broncos as a team unite. They have not been able to put together a team with consistent chemistry. The answer might be to reset completely and use their projected 13th-overall pick to draft the best available quarterback. That is currently projected to be Michigan’s JJ McCarthy or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. Meanwhile, Wilson will likely be able to find a team. Atlanta, New York (Giants), or New England may all be looking for a veteran QB. However, this is a story that is likely going to play out for the coming months.

Read More: Sean Payton Puts Russell Wilson On Blast For Lack Of Football Focus

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Russell Wilson Benching Due To Contract Dispute, Broncos QB Confirms

Russell Wilson has confirmed speculation that the Broncos benched him because he refused to make significant adjustments to his contract. “They definitely told me I was going to be benched and all that. That whole bye week I didn’t know what was going to be the case. I was going to be ready to play, I wanted to go to Buffalo and beat Buffalo. I wasn’t going to remove the injury guarantee, this game is such a physical game, I’ve played 12 years and all that. And I want to be able to play, I want to be able to help this team win. Every time I step on the field it’s a physical game. I never play timid; I never play scared,” Wilson confirmed to reporters Friday.

Specifically, as Wilson alluded to, the Broncos had wanted the veteran QB to defer an injury guarantee to 2025. Under the current language of Wilson’s contract, he would receive $37M in guaranteed money if he wasn’t able to pass a physical in March 2024. Meanwhile, head coach Sean Payton, who cited the desire to trigger an “offensive spark” when benching Wilson, denied any knowledge of the contract dispute. “I’m not privy to any of those [discussions], I’m handling the football. I know how this has been written, but this decision is strictly what I believe gives us a chance to win No. 8. Hard decision [but there] will be no other reasons,” Payton said.

Read More: Russell Wilson Reportedly Expects To Be Cut In The Offseason

Ex-NFL GM Calls Russell Wilson Trade “Worst Of All Time”

Elsewhere, former NFL GM Michael Lombardi has labeled Wilson’s trade to the Broncos the “worst of all time”. “When you add the contract and the trade, it’s the worst of all time,” Lombardi told TMZ this week. The Broncos gave up multiple first-round picks, multiple second-round picks, and three players to acquire Wilson. Furthermore, the team then gave Wilson a $245M contract extension.

However, Wilson was not the player that the Broncos thought they were trading for. Wilson struggled massively in 2022 and while he has improved in 2023, he has not turned the Broncos into a playoff contender. The team finished 5-12 in 2022 and while they have improved to 7-8 with two games remaining, their playoff chances sit at just 8% entering Week 17. In all likelihood, the Broncos will be missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.

Read More: Cam’ron Suggests Russell Wilson Dump Ciara To Improve His Play

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Russell Wilson Trade Branded “Worst Of All Time” By Former GM

Experts have started to declare the Broncos’ decision to trade for Russell Wilson “the worst of all time”. The moniker comes after Wilson was benched and reportedly expects to be cut in the offseason. “When you add the contract and the trade, it’s the worst of all time,” former Browns GM Micheal Lombardi told TMZ. The Broncos gave up multiple first-round picks, multiple second-round picks, and three players to acquire Wilson. The Broncos then gave Wilson a $245M contract.

But Wilson was not the player that the Broncos thought they were trading for. Wilson struggled massively in 2022 and while he has improved in 2023, he has not turned the Broncos into a playoff contender. While there are front-office financial issues, the Broncos have claimed benching Wilson was purely a football decision. “I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that. I can tell you — look, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively,” head coach Sean Payton said.

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Jarrett Stidham Taking Over For Russell Wilson

With Wilson benched, for football or financial reasons, Jarrett Stidham takes over for the rest of the regular season. Stidham signed a two-year, $10 million contract with Denver in the offseason but will be making his first start of the season this week. “Obviously it’s difficult and all of us feel like, ‘Man, we didn’t do well enough’. But one of the things we saw when we signed Stidham in the offseason is not only film from preseason games, but regular-season games. He’s a guy that I’m anxious to see play,” Payton said.

After stints at Baylor and Auburn, Stidham was a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 by New England. After appearing in eight games over three seasons, he was traded to Las Vegas in 2022. There he made his first two career starts, replacing Derek Carr for the final two games of the regular season. Despite going 0-2, Stidham impressed the league, especially as he helped take the 49ers to overtime in his first start. His first start in Denver comes against the Chargers.

Read More: Aaron Rodgers Says He Didn’t Ask To Be Taken Off Injured Reserve

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Russell Wilson Reportedly Expects To Be Cut In The Offseason

Russell Wilson reportedly expects to be a free agent in the 2024 offseason following his benching by the Broncos. According to reports from Bleacher Report and ESPN, Wilson fully expects to be cut because he refused to defer his injury guarantee to 2025. Wilson’s weighty contract includes an injury protection clause if he is unable to pass a physical in March 2024. However, Wilson was reportedly asked to defer that guarantee to 2025 and refused. According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, the threat of benching was leveled at Wilson earlier in the season because of this. At the time of writing, Jarrett Stidham will start the last two games of the Broncos’ season.

However, head coach Sean Payton denied that financial flexibility was playing any part in Wilson’s benching. “I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that. I can tell you — look, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively,” Payton told reporters Wednesday.

Read More: Cam’ron Suggests Russell Wilson Dump Ciara To Improve His Play

Broncos Face A Financial Headache With Russell Wilson

In short, the Broncos owe Wilson a lot of money, and benching him potentially saves them having to pay out even more money. However, the team can’t simply just cut the veteran. There is a lot of guaranteed money baked into Wilson’s contract that the Broncos will owe him either way. If they do cut Wilson, they will also be hit with $85M in dead money. That would greatly impact the options that would be available to Payton and the team in replacing Wilson.

However, it’s clear that Wilson isn’t the answer that the Broncos were hoping he would be. While his play has declined somewhat, he is not a terrible quarterback by any means. Despite this, the bigger problem is that the Broncos have not been able to put together a team with consistent chemistry. The answer might be to reset completely and use their projected 13th-overall pick to draft the best available quarterback. That is currently projected to be Michigan’s JJ McCarthy or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. Meanwhile, Wilson will likely be able to find a team like Atlanta, New York (Giants), or New England looking for a veteran QB. However, this is a story that is likely going to play out for the coming months.

Read More: Sean Payton Puts Russell Wilson On Blast For Lack Of Football Focus

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Broncos Bench Russell Wilson

With two games left in the NFL season, the Denver Broncos have benched Russell Wilson. “I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that. I can tell you — look, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively,” head coach Sean Payton said.

Wilson’s benching comes after the team lost to the Patriots last weekend. It was their third loss in four games, a trend that derailed boosted playoff hopes thanks to a five-game winning streak earlier in the season. However, as Payton alluded to, there is speculation about an ulterior motive for the benching. Wilson gets an extra $37M in guaranteed money if he can’t pass a physical next March. Benching him increases the odds that the Broncos will be able to save some money on the QB’s hefty contract.

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Jarret Stidham In For Russell Wilson

Taking Wilson’s place under center is Jarret Stidham. Stidham signed a two-year, $10 million contract with Denver in the offseason but will be making his first start of the season this week. “Obviously it’s difficult and all of us feel like, ‘Man, we didn’t do well enough’. But one of the things we saw when we signed Stidham in the offseason is not only film from preseason games, but regular-season games. He’s a guy that I’m anxious to see play,” Payton said.

After stints at Baylor and Auburn, Stidham was a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 by New England. After appearing in eight games over three seasons, he was traded to Las Vegas in 2022. There he made his first two career starts, replacing Derek Carr for the final two games of the regular season. Despite going 0-2, Stidham impressed the league, especially as he helped take the 49ers to overtime in his first start. His first start in Denver comes against the Chargers.

Read More: Aaron Rodgers Says He Didn’t Ask To Be Taken Off Injured Reserve

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Taylor Swift Hangs Out With Brittany Mahomes During Chiefs Win

Taylor Swift had a new bestie during the Chiefs game on Thursday night – Brittany Mahomes. The two football WAGs were seen living it up alongside Donna Kelce in a private box at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a great night for Swift as her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce, was perhaps the standout performer in an otherwise lackluster game. Kelce went 9-for-9 on targets for 124 yards in the 19-8 Chiefs win. Patrick Mahomes threw for over 300 yards but only found the end zone once.

Meanwhile, the Broncos managed just 95 yards through the air and 115 yards on the ground as they were held scoreless for the first three quarters of the game. The loss marked their 16th consecutive loss to the Chiefs and dropped Denver to a dismal 1-5 record. Despite the win, the Chiefs were also willing to admit there was room for improvement. “I thought we did a great job of staying patient, getting the ball down the field, but in this league, three points and seven points is just such a big difference, and so I think if we found a way to execute in the red zone and score those touchdowns, we’d come away feeling great. Since we didn’t, we have a lot of room to improve, and so that’s just something that we’ve got to continue to work on. It’s just putting a full game together. Let’s put a full game together and see what we can do,” Mahomes said after the game.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Invites Taylor Swift To Hawkeyes Exhibition Game

Swift Returns, Chiefs 3-0 In Her Attended Games

After missing the Chiefs win in Minnesota last week, Swift returned to the stands at Arrowhead. It marked her third appearance at a game this season and her second at the Chiefs’ home stadium. Now on a five-game roll, the Chiefs are 3-0 with Swift in attendance. There was less focus on Swift during the Broncos game, despite the NFL previously defending its position to feature prominently in its content in previous weeks.

It’s unknown if Swift will remain in Missouri for a couple of days as the Chiefs won’t have a game until a week on Sunday. The Chiefs next welcome the Chargers to Arrowhead on October 22. Despite not travelling to Minnesota, Swift did visit Kelce in Missouri before he left for the road game last week. She reportedly spent the night at Kelce’s home the day after his 34th birthday.

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Taylor Swift Expected At Chiefs-Broncos Game

Taylor Swift is expected to attend the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chiefs and Broncos. It will be Swift’s second game at Arrowhead Stadium and her third overall after it was revealed she was dating tight end Travis Kelce. While Swift did not attend the Chiefs’ win in Minnesota last weekend, fans will likely be happy to hear she plans on making an NFL return. The Chiefs are 2-0 with Swift in attendance and 3-0 since Traylor became a thing. The Broncos limp into this divisional matchup at a dismal 1-4. Swift has already made one surprise appearance this week, attending the premiere of her Eras Tour film in Los Angeles.

However, it’s possible that Kelce won’t be playing despite Swift’s presence. The 34-year-old has been listed as questionable as he deals with an ankle injury. Kelce has already missed one game this season, with a hyper-extended knee ruling him out of the Chiefs’ season-opening loss to Detroit. Kelce’s status will be finalized around 90 minutes before kickoff. Regardless of whether he plays, the short week means he will have more time to spend with Swift if she sticks around in Missouri. The Chiefs’ next game after the Broncos is a home game against the Chargers on October 22.

Read More: Cam’ron Suggests Russell Wilson Dump Ciara To Improve His Play

Swift Travels To Missouri For “Chill” Birthday With Kelce

While Swift didn’t travel with the team to Minnesota last weekend, she did see Kelce before the game. Kelce turned 34 on October 5, with Swift heading to Missouri the following day to spend time with him. She reportedly spent the night at Kelce’s home before departing on Saturday. Swift resides in Nashville, making the trip to Kansas City a fairly convenient one.

Furthermore, Kelce has been reportedly telling friends that Swift is helping him play well and stay healthy. “He jokes that she is his good luck charm,” a source told The Messenger. Elsewhere, Kelce spoke on the relationship the same day that Swift reportedly came to visit him. “It feels like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl and right now I’m even more on top of the world,” the tight end told reporters on Friday.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Invites Taylor Swift To Hawkeyes Exhibition Game

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Cam’ron Suggests Russell Wilson Dump Ciara To Improve His Play

Cam’ron has offered the radical suggestion that Russell Wilson leave his pregnant wife Ciara to improve his ailing football play. “Broncos, look like y’all season is over. Sean Payton, you tried. Rusell Wilson, get rid of your girl. That’s the only suggestion I got for you. I don’t know what else to do for you. You want to win? It depends on what kinda ring you want. You want the ring for marriage or the Super Bowl ring,” Cam’ron said on It Is What It Is this week.

The Broncos lost their fourth game of the season over the weekend, falling to the Jets 31-21. Wilson has 1210 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 119 rushing yards on the season. However, the Broncos have struggled to hold leads or find any consistent momentum over their first five games of the season. The stretch also included a brutal 70-20 loss that had many calling for the head for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. However, things don’t get any easier for the Broncos, with two games against the Chiefs and a game against the Bills as part of their next four games.

Read More: Antonio Brown Rips Russell Wilson On Cam’ron & Mase’s It Is What It Is

Marshawn Lynch Speaks On Russell Wilson Relationship

However, his marriage isn’t the only relationship of Russell Wilson’s that has been a topic of conversation lately. “I can’t speak on what went down because I didn’t fuck with them. I didn’t fuck with Pete and Russ…he was just a quarterback to me. As for what happened, I can’t pick up the phone and ask him what’s up cuz I don’t got his number. I would roll with him as a quarterback because I have done that. But beyond that… there’s no relationship there,” Marshawn Lynch told Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay recently.

Lynch joined the Seahawks via trade in 2010 and quickly became RB1 in Seattle. Meanwhile, Wilson was a third-round draft pick in 2012, winning the starting gig in the offseason and watched 2011 starter Travarius Jackson be traded to Buffalo. Arguably, the Wilson-Lynch connection, which lasted until the end of the 2015 season, was one of the best periods in Seahawks history. The pair won a Super Bowl together and arguably would have won another if Wilson had just handed the ball off to Lynch on the goal line. But it’s clear from Lynch’s comments that the chemistry ended as soon as they stepped off the field.

Read More: Cam’ron Compares His Relationship With Just Blaze To Russell Wilson And Marshawn Lynch’s: Watch

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Deion Sanders Defends Sean Payton And The Broncos

Deion Sanders has come to the defense of Sean Payton and the ailing Denver Broncos. “Hey, leave my guy alone. Leave my guy alone. I love the Broncos. I love their coach, and Sean Payton’s my guy. He’s going to get it right, I promise you that,” Sanders told the media this week. Payton is under increasing pressure in Denver following a 0-3 start and their recent 70-20 loss to the Dolphins. Fans have already begun to call for the veteran coach’s head. Furthermore, Payton publicly refused to fire defensive co-ordinator Vance Joseph despite the 70-point drubbing this past weekend.

However, Sanders is no stranger to rough losses himself. This past weekend, the wheels came off the Colorado hype train as they were blown out of the water 42-6. While people have not called for Sanders to be fired, the glow has substantially dimmed. Fans are bracing themselves for another rough weekend as the now unranked Colorado welcome #8 USC to Folsom Field.

Read More: Skip Bayless Ripped Apart For Racially Motivated Deion Sanders Question

Stephen A. And Shannon Sharpe Debate Sanders

Deion Sanders
EUGENE, OREGON – SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Deon Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks on the field during their game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on September 23, 2023 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Colorado’s first loss was a major topic for Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe on First Take this week. The pair were largely in agreement that Oregon exposed a lot of the flaws in this current Colorado squad. That led them to advise that Sanders focus on recruiting linemen for both sides of the ball. Furthermore, both of them agreed that there was nothing wrong with the trash talk that Oregon coach Dan Lanning had been laying down in the run-up to the game. Lanning had gotten so heat for some of his comments, such as stating that Colorado hadn’t brought much of note to the Pac-12. While some people saw it as haters hating, others saw it as Lanning speaking facts. Colorado will leave the Pac-12 never having won the conference title and only ever contesting it once.

However, both Smith and Sharpe believe that Colorado will be in a position to beat top teams next year. At the time of writing, Colorado has non-conference games against North Dakota State, Nebraska, and Colorado State. After that slate, they will play their first Big 12 regular season since 2010.

Read More: Deion Sanders Labels Blowout Loss To Oregon “A Good, Old-Fashioned Butt-Kicking”

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