How Russell Wilson forced Broncos to trade Bradley Chubb

The Denver Broncos had to make moves for the future in trading Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins, partially because the Russell Wilson trade hasn’t worked out.

For ten years, the Denver Broncos were able to entice Von Miller to remain in Denver.

It wasn’t all that difficult. The Broncos were one of the NFL’s leading teams during that time period, pairing a late-career Peyton Manning with one of the NFL’s leading defenses. From 2011 to 2015, the Broncos won the AFC West every year and appeared in two Super Bowls, winning the latter in the 2015 season.

Once Manning retired, it seemed the Broncos did, too. The Kansas City Chiefs rose as the new AFC West champs, largely because of their own succession of successful passers, Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes.

For years, the Broncos seemed to be a quarterback away from winning a Lombardi. They spent years building up their defense, selecting Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 pick. Miller was eventually traded away to the Los Angeles Rams, a fortuitous situation for Miller as he won his second Super Bowl ring. Notably, Miller chose to sign a massive contract with the Buffalo Bills, largely in belief of their own franchise quarterback, Josh Allen.

Trading away Von Miller, a longtime asset and pillar of the Broncos defense must have been a challenging move, compromised by the fact that it no longer made sense for Miller to remain on a losing team when he could fetch future draft capital in a trade.

Oddly enough, the Broncos have made the same choice in 2022. The difference is, the Broncos were supposed to have their franchise savior in Russell Wilson. But the 3-5 record, the third-ranked standings in the AFC West, and the utter disappointment in the Peyton Bowl all proves the Russell Wilson experiment isn’t working as planned. The Broncos have had to reshift their focus as 2022 falls apart, and with it, recoup some of the draft capital lost in the trade for Wilson.

The Russell Wilson trade eventually cost the Broncos Bradley Chubb

How the Russell Wilson trade cost the Broncos Chubb is two-fold: first, the Dolphins trade allowed the Broncos to regain a first-round pick, which they’re definitely going to need after this season. Clearly, the Broncos aren’t ready to become true contenders until Wilson has at least a season with the team, which contradicts the immediate franchise revitalizations seen with Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford and Peyton Manning.

Second, Chubb had a backloaded contract with $7 million due in 2022, so by trading Chubb now, the Broncos are able to get something back instead of risking losing Chubb in free agency. And with the way this season has gone, especially with Wilson eating up cap space for the next several years, it would make sense for Chubb to follow Miller’s footsteps and sign with a contender instead.

This way, the Broncos ensure that they get something in return for one of their defensive stars in a situation heavily shaped by Wilson’s arrival.

Broncos general manager George Patton said that the team would have traded Chubb regardless of their record.

“We would have made this trade regardless,” Patton said, per the official team transcript. “We just felt the value was too good, we believe in our young depth, and we believe in our defense. Moving forward, we have other holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball. We would have made this trade regardless.”

Even if that’s true, trading away all those picks for Wilson has put the team in a difficult situation.

“If the Broncos don’t trade Chubb by Tuesday, they also will work on signing him to keep him in Denver long term, according to sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported shortly before the trade. “So Chubb is expected to get a lucrative deal whether he’s with Denver or elsewhere, and sources told ESPN his new contract is expected to be worth more than $20 million annually.”

All in all, Chubb had become too costly — which may have not happened had the Broncos not traded for Wilson.