Grading Russell Wilson’s new contract with Broncos

The Denver Broncos and star quarterback Russell Wilson just agreed to a hefty five-year extension worth $245 million.

The Denver Broncos landed longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson back in March, and they’ve now reached an agreement for a hefty five-year extension. The extension is worth $245 million and includes $165 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

According to ESPN, it’s “the third-most lucrative” contract in NFL history in guaranteed money. He’s behind Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

Wilson is dedicated to the game and will likely bring success to Denver. He’s been highly successful since making his NFL debut in 2012, and he’s committed to winning. The veteran player is expected to bring the Broncos back to dominating the AFC West.

Broncos QB Russell Wilson’s contract grade – A

Though the contract is huge, it’ll likely pay off. Wilson has been reliable for the Seahawks over the past ten seasons, and it’s all but certain that he will bring Denver success as well.

Since the John Elway era, the Broncos have struggled to find a blue-chip franchise quarterback. They weren’t able to repeat their Super Bowl success until trading for Peyton Manning in 2012. Manning led the team to two Super Bowls, in the 2013 season and 2015 season, in which the Broncos won the game in the latter matchup. When Manning retired in 2016, the Broncos failed to find an adequate replacement, cycling through a carousel of quarterbacks every season. They haven’t reached the playoffs since Manning’s departure.

With Manning, they made the playoffs four consecutive seasons and made the Super Bowl twice. Since losing Manning, they’ve placed last more often than not in the AFC West standings, placing above fourth place only once. Signing one of the best quarterbacks in the league is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for the once-dominant team.

Over Wilson’s career, he’s had a completion percentage of 65 and a touchdown percentage of 6.2. He’s thrown 292 touchdown passes, which are the second-most in NFL history for a quarterback in his first ten seasons.

He’s shown no signs of slowing down, and though the Broncos are dishing out a lot of money for him, he deserves every penny if he can bring the team back to success.