NFL Rumors: 4 potential contenders who should give Kirk Cousins $90 million

3. Broncos can replace Russell Wilson with Kirk Cousins

The Denver Broncos benched Russell Wilson late in the season to ensure that his contract is void. It was a harsh and moderately scummy move, but such is life in the NFL business. It would admittedly be a bit comical for the Broncos to move from one overpaid veteran QB to another, but Cousins offers a meaningful upgrade to a Denver team that built up positive momentum in the second half of the season.

It's clear the Broncos want to draft a QB — and potentially trade into the top five to accomplish that goal. Still, most rookie QBs benefit from an early gestation period. Cousins is a great mentor to carry the Broncos' locker room and shepherd development. He doesn't carry an outsized ego. He wouldn't view teacher duties as disrespectful. One has to imagine Sean Payton is still keen to win games sooner than later.

The Broncos are close to putting the pieces together. There's a strong chance another full offseason with Wilson would have put Denver back in the sphere of contenders. That said, Cousins' superior arm talent is even more appealing. Wilson always rubbed folks the wrong way in Denver. He's big on media and self-promotion in a way Cousins is not. That's a generally dumb reason to prefer one player to another — Wilson has experienced far more postseason success than Cousins, for what it's worth — but it's another factor to consider.

If Cousins is content to move from one frigid locale to another, Denver checks a lot of boxes. The defense is solid and there are intriguing weapons on offense. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy are past due for more potent QB play.