Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos had a dramatic end to the 2023 season.
With two games remaining, coach Sean Payton benched Wilson and justified his decision by saying Jarrett Stidham could give the offense a spark. Wilson later publicly said the team had threatened to bench him weeks earlier if he did not revise his contract, but Payton has insisted that he made a football decision, not a financial one.
Regardless of whether or not Wilson was benched over his contract, the two sides had an awkward ending to the 2023 campaign that will now carry over into the 2024 offseason.
Payton has said the team will not drag out a decision on Wilson’s future with the club. Wilson’s $37 million salary for the 2025 season is scheduled to become guaranteed on March 17, so the team seems likely to make a decision by that deadline.
What comes next for Wilson and the Broncos? Here are five potential next steps for the quarterback and Denver’s front office.