3 things Russell Wilson confirmed in latest interview feat. Broncos attempt to escape from $37,000,000 injury clause

Russell Wilson might have played his final game for the Denver Broncos after getting benched in Week 17 over Jarrett Stidham. The news came after the Broncos’ Week 16 defeat against the New England Patriots, dropping three of their last four games.

Meanwhile, Wilson had an opportunity to communicate with media members about the events before his benching. The All-Pro quarterback confirmed three things through the exchange despite his uncertain status with Denver.

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1. Russell Wilson confirmed what NFL insider Dianna Russini revealed

Russini had a series of tweets detailing the events leading to Wilson’s benching. She mentioned that the Broncos approached his representatives in October about potentially deferring the trigger date of his $37 million injury guarantee for 2025.

As shared by Broncos insider Troy Renck via JPAFootball, Russell Wilson confirmed what Russini shared by saying:

"They came up to me during the bye week and they told me that if I didn't change my contract, my injury guarantee that I'd be you know, that I'd be benched for the rest of the year… I was definitely disappointed about it. and it was a process throughout the whole week, for all the bye weekend…"

The Denver Broncos had their bye in Week 9. The previous week, they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at home, 24-9, clinching their second consecutive victory after a 1-5 start.

Wilson’s 2025 injury guarantee will be activated on the fifth day of the 2024 league year (March 17). If he doesn’t pass a physical by then, he will earn that additional amount.

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2. If he will have his way, Russell Wilson wants to continue playing for the Broncos

Russini also tweeted that the Broncos are looking to cut Wilson next offseason. Doing so will take his five-year, $242.5 million extension off their books, but not after incurring an $85 million dead cap.

This possibility has Wilson being linked to potentially signing with the Minnesota Vikings, a team that might lose quarterback Kirk Cousins next offseason. However, Russell Wilson reiterated his commitment to the Broncos by sharing:

"At some point, but I think, you know, for me, I came here to play, to win. Knew it was gonna be a process, you know signed a seven-year deal to, you know, for us to go and play hard. And that's my goal, every, every time I step into doing the white lines, is give everything I have, you know, I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to be able to win here. I want to win championships here."

Wilson mentioned a seven-year deal because he still had two years left in his contract with the Seattle Seahawks when the Broncos traded away five picks and three players to acquire him. Adding the years of his mega-extension makes it seven.

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3. Russell Wilson will fully support Jarrett Stidham

Coincidentally, Stidham also took over for Derek Carr in the last two games of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2022 season. This time, he will fulfill the same duties after replacing Wilson as Broncos starting quarterback.

The Super Bowl-winning signal-caller respects the team’s decision and will help Stidham prepare for their Week 17 home game versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Russell Wilson shared with the media:

“I want to be the best teammate and leader that I can be in the midst of it all. You know, and so, that's why I was out here at practice every day. And, you know, I told Jarrett I’ll help him lead and do whatever it takes and keep the guys going and try to lead the right way, you know, that's all I know.”

If Wilson has played his last game this season, he will finish with 297 completions out of 447 passing attempts (66.4 percent) for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.