Broncos icon unleashes fury on Russell Wilson: "He isn't a leader"

Russell Wilson is reportedly being released by the Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL offseason in what has become an absolute disaster for the team. The franchise acquired him via trade with the Seattle Seahawks just two years ago, surrendering a massive package of players and draft picks to do so.

They also signed him to a five-year contract extension that made him one of the highest-paid players of all time.

When the Broncos landed Wilson, the move was intended to propel the team to become Super Bowl contenders. Instead, they missed out on making it to the playoffs in each of his two seasons in Denver. He was even benched at the end of the 2023 NFL season for a number of reasons, including failing to meet expectations, despite his massive contract.

Much speculation has been made about the exact reasons why Wilson fell out of favor with his new team, including from Broncos legend Karl Mecklenburg. He recently shared a post from his personal X account outlining his issues with the superstar quarterback:

"Russell Wilson isn’t a leader. The foolishness that went on in his first year at Denver with a private coach, his own office at the facility, and family at training camp when other players didn’t have those privileges, proved his self centeredness."

Karl Mecklenburg is a four-time All-Pro who is a member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to his connection to the franchise, he currently serves as a Certified Speaking Professional and has been an NFL Keynote Speaker who focuses on motivation and leadership.

He seems to be as qualified as anyone to form a relevant opinion on this shocking situation, so his statement could be accurate. The fact that the Broncos are willing to eat so much dead cap money to move on from Wilson further suggests that his failures in Denver likely run deeper than strictly his regression on the football field.

Russell Wilson's dead cap money for Broncos

Russell Wilson

When any NFL player has guaranteed money remaining on their contracts, releasing them can be costly for their current team. This is exactly the case for Russell Wilson, as his reported release will cost the Denver Broncos an enormous $85 million in dead cap money.

What this means is that the franchise will still have this money count against them for salary cap purposes, even if Wilson is no longer on the team. Such a massive dead cap number can be detrimental to building a roster. Most teams would avoid this situation, but apparently, the Broncos have determined the extravagant price is worth it as long as Wilson is no longer on the team.