Whatever the justification given for the decision to bench Russell Wilson for Jarrett Stidham, the fact remains that the Broncos have repossessed the utensils of the man who just wants to cook.
And there’s no coming back from this.
Not for the Broncos, and not for Wilson. Coach Sean Payton wouldn’t have benched Wilson with two games left and lingering playoff hopes if Payton hadn’t already decided not to allow $37 million in injury guarantees to become fully guaranteed in March 2024. And Wilson won’t want to keep playing for a coach who benched him.
In theory, they could mend fences with a revised contract that pays Wilson less and creates current and future cap space. For all anyone knows, an effort to reach such an agreement occurred before Payton picked the nuclear option of sending Wilson to the sideline.
The fact that it came to a benching means it’s over. The Broncos are ready to move on. Wilson is ready to move on. Whether he’s traded or released, it’s virtually impossible to imagine him back in Denver in 2024.
