Don't let Bo Nix make you forget the Broncos are paying Russell Wilson's salary

The Denver Broncos are quietly putting together an incredibly impressive season. 

Denver’s winning culture had deteriorated drastically since their Super Bowl 50 championship. In just his third year with the team, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has given the franchise plenty to be optimistic about.

The Broncos offense has finally found a spark with rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who was selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Oregon product got off to a slow start, but he’s made significant strides as he’s gotten acclimated to the professional level. 

In his first two regular season games, Nix threw for just 384 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Since then, he’s averaged over 210 passing yards per game with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Denver is currently in the driver’s seat for the third and final AFC Wild Card spot with a 6-5 record. Perhaps most impressive element of the Broncos young and talented roster is the fact that have found success despite their significant dead salary cap money. 

Nix has helped soothe much of the disappointment caused by former quarterback Russell Wilson, but Denver is still paying for their historic blunder.

Broncos are paying Russell Wilson to play for the Steelers

Denver signed Wilson to a five-year, $242.5 million contract after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. Two years later, he was released.

Wilson has helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to an 8-3 record this season, and he’s done it on Denver’s dime. Cutting ties with Wilson freed the team from his middling performance, but it didn’t free them from the guaranteed money they owed him. 

Due to offsetting language in his contract, Wilson’s salary with his new team would be deducted from his remaining salary with the Broncos. As a result, the Steelers were able to sign the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback to a one-year, $1.21 million contract, which left Denver with the tab for Wilson’s remaining $37.8 million salary in 2024.

Wilson’s salary in Pittsburgh ranks 64th among quarterbacks, and he’s the not even the second-highest-paid quarterback on the Steelers roster. Pittsburgh’s third-string quarterback Kyle Allen has a higher salary at $1.3 million.

By releasing Wilson, the Broncos were left with $85 million in dead money on their salary cap over the next two seasons, making it the largest dead cap charge in NFL history. It’s more than twice as much as the next closest dead cap hit of $40.5 million, which belonged to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

For now, it appears the move worked out well for both sides. The Broncos are significantly better without Wilson, and the veteran quarterback is thriving on a Steelers team that already has an established culture.