Russell Wilson missed the playoffs in both of his seasons in Denver. Photograph: Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports
The Broncos have brought an early end to Russell Wilson’s expensive and unsuccessful time in Denver by announcing they will cut the quarterback from their roster.
“We spoke with Russell Wilson today to inform him of his release after the start of the league year [which starts next Wednesday],” Broncos general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton said in a joint statement.
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“On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career,” the statement added. “As we move forward, we are focused on building the strongest team possible for the 2024 season and beyond. We are excited to improve this offseason and will have the flexibility to get better through the draft and free agency.”
Wilson released a statement of his own thanking the city of Denver, several of his teammates and the Broncos cafeteria workers but did not mention Payton or Paton. He ended the statement by saying: “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. God’s got me. I am excited for what’s next.”
The Broncos will take on an NFL-record $85m in dead money against their salary cap over the next two seasons by releasing the 35-year-old. The Broncos can decide how to spread that money out but Wilson is guaranteed $39m from Denver this coming season. Wilson’s $37 million salary for 2025 would have become guaranteed if he was still on Denver’s roster on 13 March.
Wilson, who won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2013 season, joined the Broncos in March 2022 with the expectation he could help them make a push for the championship. Wilson then signed a five-year contract extension with Denver worth $242.6m in September 2022.
The quarterback had already come at a heavy price: the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-85m-hit-bring-russell-221054298.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2024-03-04 22:10:54
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