The Denver Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson on Wednesday, a move that will protect the team from having to pay the quarterback future salary that’s guaranteed for injury.
Had Wilson suffered a serious injury in one of the team’s final two games of the 2023 season, $37 million of his 2025 salary would become locked in. Broncos coach Sean Payton insisted Wednesday that he made the decision in an effort to win, but multiple outlets have reported that the benching was financially motivated.
Wilson has not publicly spoken to the media since his benching, but he “liked” a series of tweets on Twitter/X that suggest Denver benched him for financial reasons, not his performance.
In today’s age of social media, “liking” the tweets is just as revealing of a statement as a literal statement from the quarterback. Wilson clearly seems to be endorsing/confirming the story that the Broncos threatened to bench him if he did not adjust his contract.
Wilson “liked” the following tweets on Wednesday: