Back-nine Russell Wilson has become the grim reaper for NFL franchises, going door to door and leaving destruction and chaos in his wake. The Pittsburgh Steelers needed 12 total games to recognize this. It took the Denver Broncos a little longer, but they learned — the hard way. Next up is the New York Giants, who are ostensibly already coming to grips with their inevitable doom.
Seeds have been planted for Wilson to lose his job as the Giants' starting quarterback. He'll get the first crack at leading their offense, but head coach Brian Daboll is reportedly enamored with first-round rookie Jaxson Dart. However, New York could have saved itself some trouble by following Broncos owner Greg Penner's sixth sense in 2022, which Denver also didn't do.
Broncos owner Greg Penner had a hunch about Russell Wilson, which proved to be right
Penner initially didn't want to extend Wilson after the Broncos traded a massive haul, including two first-round picks, to acquire the signal-caller from the Seattle Seahawks. That was made quite clear in the 60-page collusion grievance between the NFL and NFLPA (h/t Pablo Torre Finds Out).
Despite Denver general manager George Paton feeling as though they had "leverage" in discussions with Wilson, Penner saw it differently. The incoming proprietor/CEO had a handwritten note that said: "2 years left on contract, why not wait?", the document stated.
Back then, Penner hadn't even officially stepped into power yet, purchasing the team just a couple of months later. But he was thrown into the fire with Wilson's negotiations, and wanted to extinguish it, only to end up adding fuel instead.
Kudos to Penner for pointing out that the Broncos didn't need to rush to pay Wilson. Nonetheless, Denver ultimately still handed the veteran passer a whopping five-year, $242.6 million deal that included $124 million fully guaranteed at signing. So, we can credit the team's controlling governor for calling a spade a spade, but he didn't act on his word.
Not only did Denver extend Wilson, but they also ate a record-setting amount of money just to cut him in 2024. The Broncos took an $85 million dead cap hit simply because they didn't want Russ to continue "cooking" for them. For context, that's more than twice the next-closest figure (Matt Ryan's $40.5 million charge after the Atlanta Falcons released him in 2022).
Giants are quickly discovering what the Broncos did (sort of)
Wilson is no longer the perennial Pro Bowler and franchise centerpiece he once was. He'll always be enshrined in league history for guiding the Seahawks to a Super Bowl XLVIII victory (and his unforgettable interception in Super Bowl XLIX). But yesterday's price isn't today's price, and his stock has plummeted ever since leaving Seattle. Once meaningful games start, New York will realize that soon enough, and it could thrust Dart into the spotlight earlier than anticipated.