The Denver Broncos are at home after having their season ended in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, who are representing the AFC against the Seattle Seahawks in this year’s Super Bowl.
However, despite their absence from the game, the Broncos’ presence will very much be felt in this game.
It all stems from an ill-fated trade for a Pro Bowl quarterback: Russell Wilson.
Broncos Get Salt in the Wound Over Russell Wilson Trade
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants looks on against the New York Giants.
The Broncos acquired Wilson in 2022, sending a bevy of picks and players to the Seahawks before inking the then nine-time Pro Bowler to a blockbuster five-year, $245 million contract extension.
Wilson’s Broncos tenure lasted two seasons, but the deal that landed him had lasting effects on both franchises.
“Russell Wilson helped Seattle win its first Super Bowl – and had a hand in helping build this team,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X on February 8, naming 2022 draft picks left tackle Charles Cross (ninth overall), outside linebacker Boye Mafe (40th overall) and 2023 selections cornerback Devon Witherspoon (fifth overall), and OLB Derick Hall (37th overall).”
KOA Colorado’s Ryan Edwards posted “Digging the knife ever deeper…sigh,” in reaction.
Wilson and Broncos head coach Sean Payton clashed, including on the sidelines during games, with personality and preferred playing style at the root of their issues. Wilson even filed a grievance against the Broncos after Payton benched him over the final two weeks in 2023.
The Broncos cut Wilson that offseason, replacing him with Bo Nix, who they selected 12th overall in the 2024 draft.
Wilson left a lasting impression on the Broncos that they are just moving past this offseason.
Broncos Celebrate Financial Flexibility
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants looks on before facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
Cutting Wilson resulted in the Broncos incurring a historic $85 million dead cap hit. They split it across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The decisions compounded the sting of the doomed trade beyond what it cost to complete.
Wilson officially came off the Broncos’ books this offseason. Several members of the organization have openly celebrated what it could mean for their roster-building efforts.
That includes Broncos owner Greg Penner, who was against giving Wilson the deal.
“I think we navigated it well. You prefer not to have those, that kind of dead money on your books because it can be a limiter. But I love the approach we took, which was none of us were ever going to make any excuses for that,” Penner told reporters in January.
“We just looked at it as we’re going to have some constraints. We’re going to have to be scrappy, and we’re going to figure it out and put a great product on the field. And I think that we’ve done that. We’re in a good position now … in terms of cap space as well as our draft picks, and that’s exciting as we go into this offseason.”
Nix has helped smooth that transition for the Broncos. However, he will soon become costly, albeit not at the level Wilson was, presenting another challenge for the Broncos.
How they navigate that could be even more critical than how they have gotten to this point.
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