The Denver Broncos had great success bringing in an aging quarterback when they landed Peyton Manning in free agency in 2012. Trading for Russell Wilson was supposed to have the same effect.
It couldn't have gone more poorly.
The unhappy marriage between Wilson and the Broncos ended on Monday with the team announcing they plan to release the quarterback at the start of the new league year. They'll take an NFL-record dead cap hit to dump a quarterback they gave up two first-round picks and more to attain.
While the trade felt relatively even at the time, regrading the trade doesn't end well for the Broncos.
Broncos trade grade: Russell Wilson trade looks historically bad with hindsight
This trade was a catastrophe for the Broncos, who thought they were getting a franchise quarterback. He played 30 games for the team, going 11-19 as a starter.
They were so confident in Wilson that they gave him a five-year extension after the trade. He won't play a down of the years included in that extension. They'll carry an $85 million dead cap hit over the next two years because of how badly it all went.
It wasn't all Wilson's fault, to be fair. He was obviously dealing with an injury in 2022 and Nathaniel Hackett turned out to be an astonishingly bad head coach. The Broncos parted ways with a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder to hire Sean Payton in a bid to make things work. That investment only yielded so much. Wilson played better, but still had a losing record. The partnership between quarterback and head coach wasn't promising.
So let's sum it up. The Broncos invested two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick and at least two starting-caliber players for Wilson. Then they went with an "in for a penny, in for a pound" mentality by spending another first-rounder and second-rounder on a head coach who could work with Wilson. After just two seasons, they cut bait with an end result of zero playoff berths and an enormous dead cap hit that will continue to limit the team going forward.
Broncos grade: F
Seahawks trade grade: Clear winners of the Russell Wilson divorce
Russell Wilson wanted out and the Seahawks obliged, becoming the clear winners of a trade that looks more and more lopsided by the day. But did they win the trade because of how badly Wilson and the Broncos crashed and burned? Or did they do their part to maximize their return for their longtime quarterback?
The simple answer is yes. The Seahawks got more out of this trade than just the ability to laugh in Wilson's general direction.
They bet on Geno Smith and were rewarded with capable starting production, far better than anything Wilson did in Denver.
The first-round draft picks have paid off. Devon Witherspoon was a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate and Pro Bowler. Charles Cross is a promising young starter on the offensive line. Second-rounder Boye Mafe is a rising starter.
The players included in the trade have provided value. Noah Fant has been a reliable starting tight end for Seattle. Shelby Harris spent one solid season with the team as a starter.
Hilariously, Drew Lock had a higher high with the Seahawks than Wilson ever had with the Broncos. He led Seattle on a thrilling 92-yard touchdown drive to pull off a memorable late victory over the Eagles.
The Seahawks still have questions to answer at quarterback and elsewhere after deposing Pete Carroll. They're closer to contending than the Broncos, but they're still trailing the 49ers and others in the NFC. The difference is they're on much more solid ground to figure it all out because of the trade.