Broncos decision to bench Russell Wilson now is incredibly sketchy

After a big offseason in 2022, the Denver Broncos possessed all the hype after pairing Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett. To the Denver faithful’s surprise and disgust, the pairing would go 5-12. Then, in 2023, it was out with Nathaniel Hackett and in with Sean Payton.

Payton had a lot to say about Hackett’s job as head coach. The 2023 season started the same way the season prior ended. The lowest of lows came in Week Three when the Dolphins hung 70 points on the Broncos.

After that loss in Week 3, the Broncos would win eight of their next 10 games. The next week, the Broncos would lose 42-17 to the Detroit Lions. On Christmas Eve, they lost to the three-win Patriots, bringing their record to 7-8. The Broncos have two very winnable games left on their schedule against the Chargers and the Raiders.

Winning out could propel them into the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Yet, management and Sean Payton have appeared to opt out of this choice.

Why did the Denver Broncos bench Russell Wilson?

Ian Rapoport reported that the Broncos are considering benching Wilson for the remaining two games. Since then, it has been confirmed, that Wilson will take a seat on the bench and Jarret Stidham will start.

The move is a head-scratcher, even after the Broncos two-game losing skid. The Broncos' reasoning is focusing on their own future, putting Wilson's future with the organization in question.  The Broncos want to avoid an injury for Wilson, but maybe not for the reason you think.

The Broncos owe a large chunk of change to Wilson in 2025 (precisely $37 million), which would become guaranteed if he is still on the roster by the 2024 deadline of March 17. Since an NFL team cannot release an injured player, if Wilson suffered a major injury, it would complicate Denver’s future.

The change comes as a sign that the Russell Wilson era in Denver may be approaching its final days.