Denver, Colorado, December 31: On December 31, 2023, in Denver, Colorado, Russell Wilson #3 of the Denver Broncos warms up before playing the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Justin Edmonds)

It seemed like Denver had acquired their franchise quarterback when they pulled off a blockbuster trade a couple years ago to acquire former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Rather, the Denver-Wilson union descended into utter chaos, and after two years, they plan to file for divorce.

However, if you follow NFL football closely, you are aware that this past season featured a ton of poor quarterback play. Wilson wants to start and would be a valuable addition for many teams as a starter.

How much does he want to get going? In order to debut in the NFL in 2024, he is prepared to accept a significant wage drop.

According to a study by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, that is the case.This is a sample.

Russell Wilson’s benching by the Broncos on March 17 made it clear that they would cut him before his $37 million 2025 salary becomes fully guaranteed. It also seemed likely that Wilson would take the league minimum ($1.21 million) and leave the Broncos with the remaining balance of his fully guaranteed $39 million compensation package for 2024.

Wilson won’t be using that as a backup, though. He will demand a guarantee that he will start in return for his readiness to accept so little.

After acquiring Wilson, the Broncos promised him an astounding $165 million. Of course, none of that money has yet been distributed in actual cash or cap hits. The Broncos, though, are prepared to spend that cash. If they can’t find a trade partner, many anticipate that Wilson will be cut.

Wilson hasn’t even been all that horrible. 2022 was the worst year of his career and it was not good.

Wllson finished the previous season with 26 touchdowns against 8 picks while completing 66% of his throws for slightly over 3000 yards. Is that excellent? Yes, 3070 yards in 15 games isn’t the most spectacular turf event ever. However, Zach Wilson started a lot of games in this league the previous season. Despite far poorer results than those through two seasons, the Steelers still intend to start Kenny Pickett in the starting lineup next season.

It’s difficult to understand why a lot of teams wouldn’t find it appealing to acquire Russell Wilson with a cap hit of slightly over a million dollars. Kirk Cousins, the quarterback for the Vikings and an unrestricted free agent, will be the first major quarterback domino to fall this summer. A few players selected with first-round selections in the NFL Draft will also be included. Wilson is still among the better choices, though, for a team in dire need of a quarterback.

In November, Russell Wilson will celebrate his 36th birthday. You would have to presume that he doesn’t have many more good years remaining. Again, though, there are numerous teams without a strong quarterback option. Wilson is undoubtedly superior to many of those subpar choices, especially considering the stated cost.