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Broncos Asked Russell Wilson To Adjust 2025 Injury Guarantee; QB’s Benching Was Contemplated Midseason

December 27th, 2023 at 10:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos made a potentially franchise-altering move on Wednesday by benching Russell Wilson. Given his struggles in Denver across the past two seasons and the nature of his contract, it is widely believed his time with the team has come to an end.

In the wake of the news regarding Wilson’s demotion, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reported the Broncos first threatened to bench Wilson after their upset win over the Chiefs on October 29. The reason for that action, both then and with today’s move of making it official, he notes, was tied to the timing of Wilson’s 2025 injury guarantee. If on the roster on the fifth day of the 2024 league year, Wilson’s mega-pact would trigger $37MM in 2025 money.

Schultz adds the Broncos asked the former Super Bowl winner to delay the time at which that clause kicked in. Further reports (including from Denver7’s Troy Renck) have corroborated that, with the latter noting the Broncos intended to have Wilson compete for the starting role this offseason without having a guarantee in place for the following year. To no surprise, the 35-year-old did not acquiesce to that plan.

During the time after Denver’s attempt to remove the 2025 guarantees, the NFL, NFLPA and an “unknown party” took part in negotiations over the matter, per Schultz and Mark Maske of the Washington Post. In the end, no adjustments were made to Wilson’s contract, leaving the Broncos in a unenviable financial position. With a substantial dead cap charge looming, the team is positioned to release him and begin another search process for a long-term answer under center.

When addressing the matter publicly, head coach Sean Payton admitted that “economics” were a factor in the decision to essentially put a firm end to the Wilson era in the Mile High City. Since he will dress as the backup this week, though, the possibility remains the longtime Seahawk could be thrust back into action and thus put himself at risk for injury. Still alive for the playoffs, Denver’s middling offense will rely on Jarrett Stidham at the QB spot to finish the season.

Following that, Payton (whose relationship with Wilson has been the source of plenty of speculation during the year) will likely be heavily involved in the search process for a new quarterback. That, coupled with Wilson’s first career foray into free agency – presuming the team follows through with his release – will be among the league’s top 2024 offseason storylines.

Broncos To Bench Russell Wilson

December 27th, 2023 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

With a Week 16 loss to the Patriots effectively closing the door on the Broncos’ playoff hopes, the Russell Wilson watch has begun in Denver. As Sean Payton was not with the team when it acquired the longtime Seahawks star last year, the 2024 offseason has been viewed as a key point on the Broncos’ timeline.

It could also soon be a key chapter in NFL transaction history. Sitting at 7-8, the Broncos will bench Wilson. Payton informed the team Jarrett Stidham will start in Week 17, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. After the Broncos followed up a five-game win streak with a 1-3 stretch, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported the team was considering this move — one aimed at ensuring Wilson stays healthy before a pivotal offseason physical.

While Wilson has played much better this season, he has not justified the Broncos’ trade cost. The team sent an eight-asset package to Seattle, which included two first-round picks and two second-rounders. That decision came just after Aaron Rodgers — a multiyear Broncos target — agreed to a Packers extension. More importantly, the extension the Broncos gave Wilson just before last season creates a complex situation for the improved team.

The Broncos signed Wilson to a five-year, $245MM extension last summer; that deal came with $124MM fully guaranteed. The team had Wilson on a Seahawks-constructed contract ($35MM per year) through 2024, but it wanted to beat this year’s extension surge, leading to the $49MM-AAV re-up. Wilson waiving his no-trade clause for Denver always pointed to a new deal in 2022, but that turned out to be the wrong play. Even considering this year’s improvement, Wilson has not moved the needle for a Broncos team that has not found an upper-crust replacement for Peyton Manning since his 2016 retirement. Stidham will be the Broncos’ 14th starting QB post-Manning.

The Broncos can protect themselves against a $37MM guarantee (Wilson’s 2025 base salary) vesting in 2024, but the team cutting Wilson would create a staggering dead-money total. Even if the Broncos release Wilson with a post-June 1 designation — which would assuredly be the move if they are indeed cutting the cord — they would take on $35MM in dead money next year, according to OverTheCap. That would approach a record in itself, but this move would also bring a $49.6MM dead-money blow for 2025. Considering Matt Ryan‘s $40.5MM dead-money total from 2022 remains the single-player record, the Broncos would be sailing into uncharted waters — a two-offseason dead-cap total of $84.6MM associated with Wilson’s contract — if they cut their top quarterback next year.

On Day 5 of the 2024 league year, that $37MM guarantee vests if Wilson remains on the Broncos’ roster. That number is guaranteed for injury only until that March date, when it shifts to a full guarantee. But $68MM in bonus prorations from 2024-28 are also part of this equation, which stands to lead to the dead-money bloodbath.

Wilson’s contract containing a year-out guarantee, which is common among today’s high-profile deals, will force the Broncos’ hand early. If Wilson’s 2025 base salary locks in come March, the Broncos would still be tagged with $86.6MM in dead money (the $37MM base plus the $49.6MM in prorated bonuses from 2025-28) if they cut the decorated QB in 2025 rather than 2024. If Payton has deemed this a substandard fit, it behooves the Broncos to absorb this unprecedented financial blow early. Offset language does exist in Wilson’s deal, which would provide some relief once the 12th-year veteran lands elsewhere, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald adds.

This scenario is eerily similar to the one the Raiders encountered with Derek Carr. Once again, Stidham is the player who would move into the starting lineup in the event of a protection-based benching. Deciding early to bail on the Carr extension that included a February 2023 guarantee vesting date, the Raiders parked Carr on the bench — though, he left the team to avoid becoming a distraction — ahead of Week 17 last season.

Stidham started the Raiders’ final two games last season, creating a QB2 market. The Broncos gave the ex-Patriots draftee a two-year, $10MM deal to back up Wilson, beating out a Raiders offer. Unlike Carr, Wilson will not leave his team. He will dress as Denver’s QB2 against the Chargers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

Wilson ranks seventh in passer rating, throwing 26 touchdown passes — after he tossed just 16 last season — compared to just eight interceptions. But the Broncos have not exactly deployed an explosive offense. It ranks 16th in points scored, though that is up from 32nd last year, and 16th in DVOA. Wilson’s relative bounce-back effort notwithstanding, the team remains limited through the air. Payton has restrained Wilson to a degree, and the Broncos have largely relied on short passes or deep shots to Courtland Sutton during their rebound from a 1-5 start. The 35-year-old passer ranks 21st in QBR, and new regimes are more willing to take on dead money associated with players brought in under previous staffs.

Technically, this is not a new regime. GM George Paton remains, but it is widely assumed Payton is calling the shots in Denver. Paton, who was in place for the Wilson extension and Nathaniel Hackett‘s one-and-done, has been linked to being on thin ice. A move to bench Wilson to protect against an injury affecting his contract status may well precede Paton exiting in 2024. The coach Paton traded for this offseason has not meshed especially well with Wilson, whose skillset differs from Drew Brees‘.

For Wilson, this obviously represents new territory. Although the two-time Super Bowl starter submitted a shockingly mediocre season under Hackett, the Broncos did not bench him last season. The nine-time Pro Bowler moving closer to his Seahawks form under Payton may keep the Hall of Fame in play — though, this Denver tenure does inject an interesting chapter — but this benching points to him being available in 2024. Considering this is not a tradeable contract, Wilson is moving toward becoming a free agent for the first time.

This imminent separation will put the Broncos in the market for a new quarterback soon. The team’s recovery from its 1-5 start will make that more difficult, as its draft slot has dropped to 14th. Should the Broncos follow through on their now-expected Wilson release in 2024, it will be interesting to see if a team would be willing to provide another starting opportunity for the ex-Seattle iron man. Wilson is the only player in NFL history with over 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards. After being hesitant to run much under Hackett, Wilson has regularly helped the 2023 Broncos by scrambling (341 rushing yards).

While it is clear Wilson is past his prime, he has played a key role in the Broncos’ surprising playoff push — one that Stidham now controls. ESPN’s FPI gives the Broncos just a 5.6% chance to qualify. Against those long odds, the team will soon began a look toward the future.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/27/23

December 27th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s post-holiday practice squad adjustments:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from practice squad IR: LB Levi Bell

Patriots Claim CB Marco Wilson

December 27th, 2023 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 27: Wilson did not manage to pass through waivers unclaimed, something which would have set him up for free agency. The Patriots have claimed him, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. As a result, Wilson will finish off the season in New England, a team which has endured plenty of turnover at the CB spot this season. The 24-year-old could see immediate playing time as he looks to earn a roster spot for the 2024 campaign. Schefter’s colleague Field Yates tweets the Broncos and Titans (who sit lower in the priority) also put in claims.

DECEMBER 26: Following Patrick Peterson‘s defection to the Vikings, Marco Wilson became an immediate Cardinals starter. He remained a first-stringer entering this season, and the Cardinals were counting on him after the Vikes also lured Byron Murphy from the desert in March. In a new scheme, Wilson’s stock dropped.

Wilson has not played a defensive snap since Week 11, with the Cards relegating the third-year cornerback to special teams duty. They officially moved on from the former fourth-round pick Tuesday, sending him to waivers. Barely $110K remains on Wilson’s 2023 salary; while his rookie contract runs through 2024, no guaranteed money remains on the deal.

Vance Joseph immediately installed the Florida alum as a starter in 2021, pairing him with Murphy as Arizona’s top corners over the previous two seasons. Wilson started in Week 1 of his rookie year and has made 37 starts over the course of his career. That run came to a halt last month. Wilson has allowed 702 yards in coverage this season, per ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss; that is 300-plus more than any other Cardinal corner has ceded this year. Despite Wilson not playing defense since Week 11, that yardage number still ranks fourth in the NFL.

Wilson’s quick ascent under Joseph notwithstanding, he has rated outside Pro Football Focus’ top 100 at corner in each of his three seasons. The advanced metrics site slots the 6-foot cover man as the third-worst CB regular this year. Wilson logged 83% and 85% snap rates for the Cardinals in 2021 and ’22, respectively, working as a starter in the team’s wild-card loss to the Rams as a rookie. Wilson still leads Cardinals corners in defensive snaps (694). That total tops Antonio Hamilton‘s snap figure by more than 200. The Cardinals have also used Starling Thomas V as a starter in recent weeks, with third-round rookie Garrett Williams manning the slot.

Hamilton was with the team last season, but the Jonathan Gannon–Monti Ossenfort regime has mostly turned the page from the Joseph-era corners. Arizona, which is finishing up a rebuilding year, has not allocated much in the way of resources to corner in recent years. Peterson started for 10 seasons in the desert, crafting a Hall of Fame-caliber resume, while Murphy was in place for four. The Cards will enter the 2024 offseason with many needs; cornerback remains one of them.

Texans Claim S Kareem Jackson Off Waivers, Place S Jimmie Ward On IR

December 26th, 2023 at 9:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

After his Broncos tenure came to an unceremonious end, Kareem Jackson will return to where his career began. The veteran safety was claimed off waivers Tuesday, as first reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Jackson’s roster exemption for his second suspension of the 2023 season expired on Monday. After Denver elected not to activate him in time for the team’s Week 16 game, though, questions were raised about his future with the franchise. The Broncos waived Jackson with the intention of retaining him via the practice squad.

That will no longer be the case, as he will now head to Houston for the first time since his Texans tenure came to an end in 2018. Jackson was once a teammate of head coach DeMeco Ryans, and he spent nine years with the franchise after arriving in the NFL as a first-round pick. He could have a path to immediate playing time, given the corresponding move made alongside his addition.

The Texans placed fellow safety Jimmie Ward on injured reserve due to a quad injury, per Wilson. After nine years in San Francisco, Ward followed Ryans to Houston this offseason. He has served as a full-time starter in his first Texans campaign, collecting 50 tackles and one interception while providing experience to a transitioning team. Jackson will look to do the same as Houston chases a postseason berth over the final two weeks of the season.

“I’m thrilled to be back with the Texans,” the 35-year-old said, via Wilson. “It’s all coming full circle, having spent a lot of time in Houston. I’m really excited and happy for DeMeco and all the success he’s having. I’m here to be a piece of the puzzle and help them win these last two games and get to the playoffs.”

The Broncos are still alive for a wild-card berth, but their playoff hopes took a major blow with Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. Jackson officially leaving the organization confirms that P.J. Locke, who filled in as a starter during his suspensions, will remain in a first-team role to close out the season. Houston is one of three teams still eligible to win the AFC South, but failing that a wild-card spot is still within reach. If Jackson does see time in the 2023 postseason, it will be with his original NFL team.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 26th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Panthers, Cardinals and Commanders continued their losing ways in Week 16, the Patriots’ effort in Denver shook up the top of the 2024 draft. New England has dropped from second to fourth in the ’24 order.

In a strange spot in which Broncos fans and and undoubtedly many Pats supporters wanted the Russell Wilson-driven comeback to succeed, Chad Ryland‘s 56-yard game-winning field goal dropped New England out of the No. 2 spot, injecting doubt about the team’s ability to nab a top-flight QB prospect without trading up next year.

The Bears (via the Panthers) remain atop the table, holding a one-game lead on the Cardinals. Carolina closes its season with two games against eight-win teams — the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Arizona will face Philadelphia and Seattle, and with Carolina’s strength of schedule at .522 and Arizona’s at .561, the draft-order tiebreaker reaffirms the Bears’ placement on the doorstep of entering a second straight offseason holding a No. 1 overall pick. The Justin Fields matter remains an important big-picture NFL topic, but GM Ryan Poles is close to having his pick of the 2024 QB prospects.

It is not clear if the Commanders will be interested in a quarterback in the first round, but they will have a new regime running the show. The last time Washington held a top-three pick (2020), it passed on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert due to having drafted Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. With Sam Howell struggling as of late, Josh Harris‘ next set of decision-makers may want to bring in their own prospect. The Cardinals could stand in the Commanders’ way, via another trade in the top three, but suddenly Washington could be a player for a 2024 first-round QB.

Ahead of Week 17, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Arizona Cardinals: 3-12
  3. Washington Commanders: 4-11
  4. New England Patriots: 4-11
  5. New York Giants: 5-10
  6. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-10
  7. Tennessee Titans: 5-10
  8. Chicago Bears: 6-9
  9. New York Jets: 6-9
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
  11. New Orleans Saints: 7-8
  12. Green Bay Packers: 7-8
  13. Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8
  14. Denver Broncos: 7-8
  15. Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
  16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-7
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-7
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7
  20. Indianapolis Colts: 8-7
  21. Seattle Seahawks: 8-7
  22. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-7
  23. Los Angeles Rams: 8-7
  24. Buffalo Bills: 9-6
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 10-5
  27. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  28. Detroit Lions: 11-4
  29. Miami Dolphins: 11-4
  30. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-4
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 11-4
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 12-3

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/26/23

December 26th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the NFL’s Boxing Day practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

  • Released: DB Keidron Smith

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

  • Signed: TE La’Michael Pettway

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Smith will make his way to a third team this season. The Saints signed the former Cowboys mainstay just before the season, but the Raiders later poached the eighth-year veteran off New Orleans’ practice squad. The Steelers, who have lost regulars Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander for the season, will turn to him now. This move come after the Steelers added Mykal Walker, who is on team No. 4 this year, to their linebacking corps.

Henderson resurfaced with the Rams midway through this season, coming back after the team lost Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers in one game. Williams made his way back to action last month, while Rivers moved back to the 53-man roster last week. With Royce Freeman in place as veteran insurance, the Rams will again cut Henderson.

The Broncos are planning to bring Smith back to their P-squad soon, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. The team initially planned to cut Smith to clear a spot for Kareem Jackson. With the Texans making another high-profile waiver claim — this one to reunite with Jackson, who was primarily a Houston cornerback from 2010-18 — the Broncos no longer have to clear a P-squad spot.

Broncos To Waive S Kareem Jackson

December 25th, 2023 at 3:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:15pm: The Broncos will move forward with the decision to waive Jackson, Mike Klis of 9News reports. Given the team’s decision not to activate ahead of last night’s game, the move comes as little surprise. Klis adds, however, that Denver intends to retain the veteran by signing him to the practice squad. Jackson is unlikely to garner much of a market on the waiver wire and if he clears, he will be free to re-join the Broncos. The news confirms Locke will continue in a full-time starting role.

12:44pm: Kareem Jackson‘s 2023 campaign has been marred by a pair of suspensions, and he has missed six games as a result. He is now eligible to return to the Broncos’ lineup, but it remains to be seen if that will take place.

The veteran safety was issued a four-game ban for repeated instances of unnecessary roughness, though he was able to have the ban reduced to two games on appeal. That was immediately followed by another hit using his helmet, however, which resulted in a new four-game suspension. Jackson has returned to practice with the Broncos via a one-week roster exemption, but it is set to expire today.

Denver would be required to open a roster spot to bring Jackson back into the fold. Notably, though, the team did not do so in time for yesterday’s game against the Patriots. The 35-year-old was thus a healthy scratch for a contest with signficant playoff implications. Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reported over the weekend that the Broncos were taking a “day-to-day” approach with respect to getting Jackson back into game shape. A decision on activating or releasing him will now need to be made in the immediate future.

On that point, Denver7’s Troy Renck notes that the result of Denver’s Christmas Eve matchup could play in role in the team’s next move. The Broncos lost on Sunday night, dropping them to 7-8 on the season and dealing a signficant blow to their postseason chances. With a wild-card berth potentially out of reach, Renck adds the team may lean more toward a release than the comparatively easy decision of bringing him back into the fold had they won the game.

Jackson has been in Denver since 2019, serving as a full-time starter throughout his tenure there. For the third straight season, he finds himself on a one-year deal as he moves closer to the end of his career. With much of his 2023 salary ($2.52MM) having been paid out already, a release would not be expensive from Denver’s perspective. Moving on from the veteran would also solidify P.J. Locke as a starter, a role he has filled while Jackson served his suspensions.

Locke, a former UDFA, has enjoyed a career year in 2023. The 26-year-old has recorded 43 tackles, three sacks, one interception and two fumble recoveries this year, and he would be in store to add to that production if Jackson were to remain out of the picture. Locke is a pending free agent, so a first-team role to finish out the season could help boost his value on the open market.

NFL Injury Updates: Jacobs, Miller, Vikings, Sutton

December 25th, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Ely Allen

To start with, let’s address one of the remaining games of this week. It appears that the Chiefs’ route to an eighth consecutive AFC West title will be a bit easier today as the Raiders will be playing without leading running back Josh Jacobs, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. After starting the first 13 games of the season with Las Vegas, Jacobs is now set to miss a second straight game.

Jacobs was held out of last week’s contest after suffering a quad injury in the previous week. He hadn’t been able to practice during a short week and the team had decided it better to act out of an abundance of caution so as to not risk further damage. The Raiders had been holding out hope that Jacobs would be able to find his way back to the field this week, but an illness combined with the healing quad to ensure that Jacobs would not be able to make an appearance in Week 16. If his absence last week, backup Zamir White earned his first career start, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown in place of Jacobs.

After a promising start to his career, the last few years have been a bit inconsistent for Jacobs. He followed up two seasons in which he rushed for a combined 2,215 yards and 19 touchdowns with only an 872-yard campaign, though he was still breaching the endzone often with nine touchdowns. After a down year that led to the Raiders choosing not to pick up his fifth-year option, Jacobs exploding into a rushing title with 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns. This year, Jacobs is at 805 rushing yards on a career-worst 3.5 yards per attempt and six touchdowns.

Jacobs had avoided playing out this season on the franchise tag, after coming to a one-year agreement with the Raiders, but a long-term deal remained elusive. Missing time due to injury at the tail end of disappointing season is unfortunately not going to help matters much when Jacobs enters the offseason at the end of the year.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • In addition to Jacobs, while Las Vegas will reportedly have left tackle Kolton Miller return today as an active player, it appears that he may only be available as an emergency option on the offensive line, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Miller has missed four of the team’s last five contests. In his absence the Raiders have experimented with moving usual starting right tackle Thayer Munford to the left side while having backup lineman Jermaine Eluemunor start on the opposite side of wherever they line up Munford. That trend should continue into Week 16.
  • We already reported on the situation with Vikings pass rusher D.J. Wonnum, but the team lost three other significant contributors to injury during yesterday’s game. Budding tight end T.J. Hockenson, rookie first-round wide receiver Jordan Addison, and cornerback Mekhi Blackmon were all forced out of Sunday’s game early. Fowler of ESPN reported this morning that the outlook for Hockenson is “not good.” While Minnesota is still holding out hope that his MRI will tell a different story, the team is bracing for bad news on the subject. As for Addison, an ankle sprain is projected to have him on a week-to-week status, and the Vikings will hope to glean a bit more information after further testing today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
  • Lastly, the Broncos played much of yesterday’s loss to the Patriots without their leading receiver after Courtland Sutton left the game with a concussion, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Sutton has struggled over the years to find the yardage success he had in 2019 but has rediscovered his redzone proficiency in 2023. The big-bodied receiver leads the team in receptions (58), receiving yards (770), and receiving touchdowns (10) this season. Sutton will have to pass through concussion protocol to return next week in time to help his team in what has become a bit more difficult race for a Wild Card spot.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/23

December 23rd, 2023 at 7:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Bills will not have depth running back Ty Johnson available for tonight’s game, leading to the decision to elevate Fournette. The former Super Bowl champion will thus make his Buffalo debut, although with lead back James Cook in the lineup, Fournette will likely not receive many looks on offense. The latter has already returned a kickoff for the first time in his career, however.

Signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, Ingram will also make his 2023 debut in Week 16. The 34-year-old last played during his Miami stint in 2022, during which time he started three games and recorded six sacks. With Jaelan Phillips out for the year, Ingram will look to once again give the Dolphins a rotational presence off the edge.

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