Is this the worst trade of all time?

Russell Wilson was informed by the Broncos on Monday, March 4th that he is going to be released, as reported by Ian Rapoport for NFL Network.

The Broncos have been hinting at releasing Wilson since the end of the regular season, so this move comes as no surprise, despite the enormous $85 million dead cap hit they will now incur.

Per Jeremy Bergman for NFL media, this cap hit is the largest in NFL history, this number is also separate from the $39 million the Broncos owe Wilson for the 2024 season.

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Wilson and the Broncos have stormed into first place in the all-time biggest dead cap hits, overtaking Matt Ryan in 2022 from the Colts at $40.5 million, Aaron Rodgers in 2023 from the Packers at $40.3 million, and Tom Brady in 2023 from the Buccaneers at $$35.1 million, per Sportrac.

As Front Office Sports pointed out on X, Wilson’s dead cap number is larger than the previous two records combined, with the Broncos breaking new ground on cap hits!

The Broncos acquired Wilson in a blockbuster trade in 2022, sending the Seattle Seahawks a monster package including two first-rounders, and three players to the Seahawks.

Wilson and the Broncos immediately agreed to a new five-year, $242 million extension, making the Super Bowl-winning QB one of the highest-paid players in football.

The Broncos subsequently went a dismal 5-12 in 2022, with Willson throwing only 16 TDs, which was a career low.

Following the disastrous 2022 season, the Broncos moved on from head coach Nathaniel Hackett and hired Sean Payton, who described Hackett’s tenure as, “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL,” per The Washington Post.

Many in the media, which may or may not have included us, were lured in by the redemption ark of Russell Wilson under the coaching of Sean Payton, whose record as the Saints head coach was excellent. Unfortunately, things didn’t change much with the Broncos ending the season 8-9.

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Wilson did look a far better player in 2023 than the year prior, throwing for 26 TDs and just eight INTs. He also looked more mobile, creating plays for himself out of structure, which during his pomp, was his speciality.

As Arnie Stapleton for CPR News writes, “Wilson enjoyed a bounce-back year last season…But it wasn't good enough and Payton benched him for Jarrett Stidham for the final two games.” A damning indictment on Wilson’s future with the team.

The end seemed to be nearing for Wilson in Denver with Sean Payton noting at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he referenced a meme featuring a Bronco’s jersey with the names of previous QBs crossed out. He mentioned he wanted to make sure, “this next one doesn’t have a line through it,” per Broncoswire.

For the Broncos, their immediate need is to find a reliable starting quarterback. In various mock drafts, from both ourselves and others, they pick J.J. McCarthy, whose stock seems to be on the rise, despite a so-so showing at the Combine.

Arnie Stapleton of CPR News notes one destination for Wilson could be Pittsburgh, who have remained competitive in recent years despite awful quarterback play. It seems like a match made in heaven given Wilson will presumably only ask for the veteran minimum salary.

We are less than two weeks away from the start of the new NFL league year and we have already had a potential Hall of Fame quarterback released at great cost, could this be one of the most exciting NFL offseasons yet?

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