Broncos players react to Russell Wilson’s release on Twitter

The Broncos are parting ways with Russell Wilson. Here’s how his teammates reacted on Twitter/X.

Russell Wilson’s release from the Denver Broncos, although expected, has sent shockwaves across the NFL landscape. Wilson came to the Broncos via trade in 2022 and then signed a five-year, $242.5 million contract.

He was expected to turn the Broncos back into playoff contenders, but after an 11-21 record and no playoff appearances, the writing was on the wall. Denver will take a big hit, too, with an unprecedented $85 million “dead money” cap hit.

While the media has had its day with the news, Broncos players have shared their opinions on Wilson’s departure.

Check out the slides to see their reactions on Twitter/X.

Broncos release statement on releasing QB Russell Wilson

“We are focused on building the strongest team possible for the 2024 season and beyond,” the Broncos said after cutting Russell Wilson.

The Denver Broncos announced Monday that they plan to release quarterback Russell Wilson once the NFL’s new league year begins on March 13.

After news broke of Wilson’s upcoming release, Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton released the following statement:

We spoke with Russell Wilson today to inform him of his release after the start of the league year. On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career. 

As we move forward, we are focused on building the strongest team possible for the 2024 season and beyond. We are excited to improve this offseason and will have the flexibility to get better through the draft and free agency. 

Wilson is now set to become a free agent, and he should draw plenty of interest from teams seeking a budget-friendly veteran quarterback.

As for the Broncos, they could find their next starting quarterback either through free agency or the NFL draft. It would not be surprising to see Denver sign a QB this month and then also draft a QB in April. The next few weeks will be busy for the Broncos as they seek Wilson’s replacement.

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5 possible next steps for Russell Wilson and the Broncos

What happens next for Russell Wilson and the Broncos? Here are five possible scenarios.

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.

10 players who might play their last game for Broncos on Sunday

The Broncos will need to get out of a salary cap hole in 2024, and these players might become cap casualties.

The Denver Broncos will wrap up their 2023 NFL season on Sunday when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 18.

Once the final whistle blows, the offseason will begin immediately for the Broncos, and coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton are poised to have a busy spring with many challenging decisions.

Denver is projected to be $18 million over the salary cap in 2024, according to an estimate from OverTheCap.com, and that’s before potentially releasing quarterback Russell Wilson and creating an even bigger cap mess.

The Broncos will have to dig out of a salary cap hole this offseason, forcing the team to make some tough decisions. To become cap-compliant, Denver will likely have to part ways with multiple players either through cuts, trades or free agency.

Ahead of the team’s season finale, here’s a quick look at ten players who could play* their final game for the Broncos on Sunday. (*We’ve also included a few injured/benched players who could depart in 2024.)

Broncos making roster moves ahead of Packers game

The Broncos made two roster moves earlier this week and two more moves could be on deck.

The Denver Broncos will have made several changes to the 53-man roster by the time Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers arrives.

The Broncos already made two roster moves earlier this week when wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and fellow receiver Michael Bandy was re-signed to the practice squad on Wednesday.

Bandy was cut from the practice squad last week to make room for Humphrey, who was cut from the active roster to make room for tight end Greg Dulcich to come off injured reserve.

After the team cut pass rusher Frank Clark, Humphrey is now back on the active roster and Bandy is back on the practice squad. Looking ahead, the Broncos likely have two more roster moves on deck ahead of Sunday’s game against the Packers.

Denver is expected to elevate pass rusher Baron Browning (knee) from the reserve/physically unable to perform list to the 53-man roster. To do so, the Broncos will need to create a spot on the roster for Browning.

One potential way Denver could open up a spot would be to place Dulcich back on injured reserve after he suffered another hamstring injury in Week 6. Dulcich going on IR and Browning returning to the active roster are two potential moves to watch for this weekend.

Two other players to keep an eye on are running back Hassan Hall and tight end John Samuel Shenker, who tired out for the team on Tuesday. Neither player has been signed at the time of publication, but they might be considered for the practice squad or reserve/future contracts later this season.

Broncos will trade or cut OLB Frank Clark

The Broncos are moving on from veteran pass rusher Frank Clark.

Frank Clark’s time with the Denver Broncos is coming to an end.

The Broncos will release the veteran pass rusher if they are unable to find a trade partner, ESPN’s Field Yates confirmed Thursday morning. Clark restructured his contract on Wednesday and gave back $1.68 million, according to Yates. That could make a potential trade more feasible.

Reports emerged on Sunday that Denver is receiving trade calls about Clark, a 30-year-old pass rusher who joined the team in June on a one-year, $5.5 million contract. Clark has an impressive resume with 72 career sacks (including playoffs) and two Super Bowl rings, but he has failed to make an impact with the Broncos.

Clark has appeared in just two games this season with no sacks or quarterback hits in those contests. He is ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with an “illness.”

Last week, the Broncos traded pass rusher Randy Gregory and a seventh-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round pick. A similar deal for Clark might be on the way.

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Broncos release WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, hope to re-sign him to practice squad

The Broncos released WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, but he is a candidate to return on the practice squad.

The Denver Broncos released wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on Wednesday, but it will be a procedural move if other NFL teams don’t get in the way.

The Broncos already created an open spot for Humphrey on their practice squad when they released wide receiver Michael Bandy on Tuesday. Now, so long as no other teams sign him, Denver can re-sign Humphrey to the practice squad with the open spot created by Bandy’s release.

The timing of Humphrey’s demotion to the practice squad likely suggests that a pass-catcher is about to return to the 53-man roster. Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) is still on injured reserve at the time of publication, but he’s listed as questionable on the injury report for Thursday’s game.

After releasing Humphrey, Denver now has an open spot on the active roster for Dulcich to officially return from IR in time for a Week 6 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. That move could become official on Thursday.

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Broncos to part ways with OLB Randy Gregory

The Broncos have decided to part ways with outside linebacker Randy Gregory.

Story update: Before the release became official, the Broncos agreed to trade Randy Gregory to the 49ers in exchange for a late-round draft pick. See our original post below. 


After failing to find a trade partner, the Denver Broncos are releasing veteran outside linebacker Randy Gregory, according to multiple reports.

The release was a mutual decision, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com first reported Wednesday. After being benched in favor of Nik Bonitto against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Gregory asked for his release on Tuesday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The Broncos tried to trade Gregory before ultimately granting his request to be cut, according to The Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel. The 30-year-old veteran will now become a free agent.

Denver meanwhile, will move forward with Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, who combined to total 3.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, a strip-sack and a fumble returned for a touchdown against the Bears in Week 4.

The Broncos are also expected to have Baron Browning return to practice this week after he spent the first four weeks of the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Frank Clark seems to be on track to return to practice this week as well.

Gregory ended up being a big free agent bust for Denver — he signed a five-year, $70 million contract in 2022 — but the Broncos shouldn’t struggle to replace him this season. Gregory totaled three sacks in 10 games with Denver dating back to last season.

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Podcast: Recapping Saints moves at roster cuts deadline, previewing Week 1 Titans game

Podcast: Recapping Saints moves at roster cuts deadline, previewing Week 1 Titans game

We’re back. The Saints Wire podcast is kicking off our 2023 season with Saints Wire managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr) and our host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG). You can subscribe for new episodes released each week on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts or your podcast service of choice

This week we’re quickly recapping the Saints’ moves at the roster cuts deadline — like the Wil Lutz trade and Bradley Roby’s release — before shifting gears to preview the season-opening game against the Tennessee Titans and all-star running back Derrick Henry. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Tap in.

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Broncos’ depth chart with practice squad players included

The Broncos have released their updated depth chart ahead of a Week 1 showdown with the Raiders.

After setting their 53-man roster, the Denver Broncos finalized a 17-player practice squad for the 2023 season earlier this week.

The Broncos released their first official regular-season depth chart on Wednesday, but that depth chart only includes players on the active roster. We’ve put together a (projected) depth chart that includes the practice squad players listed in red to give a better picture of all 70 players on the team.

Keep in mind that Denver can elevate two players from the practice squad to the game-day roster each week.

Offense

Position Player Player Player Player Player
QB Russell Wilson Jarrett Stidham Ben DiNucci
RB Javonte Williams Samaje Perine Jaleel McLaughlin Tyler Badie Dwayne Washington
FB Michael Burton
TE Adam Trautman Greg Dulcich Chris Manhertz Nate Adkins Lucas Krull
WR Jerry Jeudy Marvin Mims Lil’Jordan Humphrey David Sills
WR Courtland Sutton Brandon Johnson Phillip Dorsett
LT Garrett Bolles Cam Fleming Demontrey Jacobs
LG Ben Powers Quinn Bailey
C Lloyd Cushenberry Luke Wattenberg Alex Forsyth
RG Quinn Meinerz Quinn Bailey
RT Mike McGlinchey Cam Fleming Will Sherman

Defense

Position Player Player Player Player
DE Zach Allen Elijah Garcia Jordan Jackson
NT D.J. Jones Mike Purcell Tyler Lancaster P.J. Mustipher
DE Jonathan Harris Matt Henningsen Haggai Ndubuisi
OLB Randy Gregory Nik Bonitto Thomas Incoom
OLB Jonathon Cooper Frank Clark Marcus Haynes
ILB Josey Jewell Justin Strnad Ben Niemann
ILB Alex Singleton Drew Sanders
CB Pat Surtain Ja’Quan McMillian Fabian Moreau
Slot Essang Bassey Devon Key Art Green
CB Damarri Mathis Riley Moss Tremon Smith
FS Justin Simmons Delarrin Turner-Yell
SS Kareem Jackson OR Caden Sterns JL Skinner

Special Teams

Position Player Player Player
K Wil Lutz
P Riley Dixon
LS Mitchell Fraboni
PR Marvin Mims Tremon Smith
KR Marvin Mims Jaleel McLaughlin

To view the Denver Broncos’ complete 2023 schedule, click here.

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