Where will Russell Wilson go? That has become the hottest question after news emerged that Sean Payton was benching the franchise quarterback of the Denver Broncos for Jarrett Stidham. While there is an element of selfishness on part of the franchise behind this move as the team intends to avoid incurring a $37 million hit that will be triggered if Wilson were to suffer a major injury, the actual reason is to preserve his trade value.
It is now confirmed by the quarterback himself and other reports that Russell Wilson‘s time as the QB of the Denver Broncos has come to an end. However, with that being said, a lot of other questions arise. With two years to go on his contract, what team would be willing to swoop in to take over Wilson and his bloated contract?
If the Denver Broncos cut Wilson, the team will face a massive hit of $85 million in dead money ($35.4M in 2024 and $49.6M in 2025) which they will have as a burden for the next two years. That is if the team decides to cut him post June 1. The best option would be for the Broncos to find a viable spot to trade Wilson to and ensure that he is on a roster of a new team on the fifth day of the new league year, in 2025, in such a scenario, the $37 million owed to him in yearly guaranteed money can be transferred on to the next team he is on.
Top landing spots for Russell Wilson after the Broncos departure
Here are the best teams that can handle Russell Wilson’s contract and use his skillset in order to improve their odds at winning:
1. Atlanta Falcons
It’s about time the Atlanta Falcons took flight…Ever since the team’s massive Super Bowl tragedy in 2017, the team has been on a path of a downward spiral. While the team has issues at coaching, they have struggled to find a stable replacement for Matt Ryan. This season, the team has managed to stay afloat in the NFC South despite Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder, between whom they have dabbled all year long.
Ridder is not half bad but put a seasoned Russell Wilson in there, who has Drake London and Kyle Pitts to throw the ball to. Are you really going to dismiss the possibility of that team being special and not being atop the NFC South?
The Falcons defense has been playing at a high level the entire season, but their offense could use Russ. Sure, until they do something about Arthur Smith, the team will never be as good, but if the offense has managed to do this well in spite of him, could adding a QB such as Wilson not help them overcome his offensive shortcomings?
Will the team be able to absorb a cap hit? Yes, but they will need to forego their first-round pick in this year’s draft. The Falcons are likely to get a top 10 pick this year and the team will need to make the ultimate call on if they want a QB who has been to the Super Bowl and won it or a fresh face out of college.
2. The Washington Commanders
It’s pretty ironic that a team named Commanders has struggled to find a quarterback to command its offense in the last few years. Last year it was Carson Wentz, who did play fairly decent, but this season, it has been Jacoby Brissett and Sam Howell that have been the team’s primary options. Ron Rivera is most likely done as the team’s HC after the team’s 4-11 finish this year.
There will be a fresh face at HC, so why not bring in an experienced quarterback who can work together with the offense and the coaching to better this team? The Washington Commanders will revamp in a major way following this season, with new front office staff, new Head Coach, and definitely a new quarterback.
The team’s fanbase wants players who can come in and have an immediate impact. Russell Wilson, in the right environment, can be that guy. They have Terry McLaurin, a guy who has been consistent, and Logan Thomas. All they need is a guy who can throw the ball at the right moment.
3. New Orleans Saints
The Derek Carr project has been a massive failure. In his first season as the team’s QB, Carr has become a figure that the fanbase and his teammates in the locker room have begun to loathe. Jameis Winston is a great guy, but can you rely on him week-after-week to come in and show up? Not really.
Russell Wilson would be a good fit with the Saints and, not to mention, imagine if the quarterback goes from a Denver Broncos coached by Sean Payton to a Saints team and achieves more success there. That would be sweet revenge to him. However, the odds of this happening is slightly lesser owing to the Saints’ cap space woes.
The team is $72 million over the 2024 salary cap. They will need to create over $100 million in cap space to function. In order to get Wilson aboard, the team will have to restructure his contract in a major way. It is possible, but the answer to that question remains contingent on how badly do the New Orleans Saints want him?
4. New England Patriots
Bill Belichick and his love for veteran quarterback’s over rookies is established. Especially after his project with Mac Jones failed. If one moves with the assumption that Belichick will no longer be the HC of the team, Mr. Kraft would not completely shut out the idea of bringing aboard a veteran quarterback to guide and lead this offense.
The only issue would be Wilson’s contract. Will the New England Patriots be willing to restructure his deal or work around it in some manner to accommodate him on board?
There are other destinations as well, such as the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, that need veteran quarterbacks, however, Wilson would not be a good fit there. There have been talks of the Minnesota Vikings having interest in Wilson, but that is highly improbable.
The primary reason being Kirk Cousins, even though he is out for the season with an ACL injury, the team continues to view him as its franchise QB. The team would prioritize extending Cousins as his contract comes to an end after this season.
From a financial perspective as well, for the Vikings or any other team, his contract remains the biggest challenge and will cause a lot of teams to think ten times before bringing Wilson onboard.
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