Russell Wilson admitted to former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the I AM ATHLETE podcast that he is willing to sign the veteran minimum if released by the Denver Broncos this offseason.

The 2024 season would have been the first year of the five-year, $242.5 million extension he signed with the Broncos. However, it was evident from Wilson’s diminished performance last season that the Broncos overpaid for his services.

Wilson was benched before the end of the 2023 regular season when it was imminent that the Broncos wouldn’t have any chances of making the playoffs. However, some football fans speculate that the team resorted to that decision to avoid paying his $37 million injury guarantee for 2025.

The All-Pro quarterback will get that amount if he fails a physical by the fifth day of the 2024 league year, March 17. Hence, there are talks about the Broncos cutting Wilson. The higher salary cap for 2024 ($255.4 million) softened the blow of the dead cap corresponding to Wilson’s release. But $85 million represents nearly 33 percent of the salary cap, a sizeable amount the Broncos can’t use.

The Broncos can also designate him as a post-June 1 cut to distribute his dead cap over two seasons. But choosing that approach gets the nine-time Pro Bowler his $37 million guarantee.

The Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. They surrendered five draft picks and three players (Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant) for the one-time Super Bowl champion.

He played 15 games in his first season with the Broncos, finishing with 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Last season, he had 26 touchdown passes against eight picks. However, his yards per attempt went down to a career-low 6.9. He also finished the season with a career-high five fumbles lost.

-Lance Fernandez