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Russell Wilson may have just played his last game with the Denver Broncos.
The one-time Super Bowl winner was announced to have been demoted to the bench on Wednesday, with Jarrett Stidham being elevated in his place for the last two games of the season. The team is currently 7-8 with a still-slim chance of making the playoffs, but has been in a 1-3 slump as of late, including two straight losses.
The decision has left many shocked, with one critic of the move being former linebacker and current Fox Sports personality Emmanuel Acho. He said Wednesday on "SPEAK" that the same thing had happened thrice already:
"The Raiders did it last year with Derek Carr. And they ended up with Jimmy Garoppolo. Then the Raiders did it again this year with Jimmy Garoppolo. And they ended up with Aiden O'Connell. Then the Colts did it last year. I believe it was with Matt Ryan. And they now currently have Gardner Minshew."
In addition, he opined that the Broncos might have ruined their offseason, especially under center, by preparing to ditch Wilson:
"There is no plan because in the National Football League, you are likely not getting a high-quality quarterback and free agency. No plan. Then the Broncos will pick so late that they're not going to get Caleb Williams nor are they going to get Drake Maye."
Russell Wilson Benched: What head coach Sean Payton said about Broncos' move
The move comes as Russell Wilson's future becomes questionable, with the quarterback to be owed a $36-million guarantee if he fails a physical in March. An injury in the final two games will likely activate it, and General Manager George Paton will not want that to happen, and would rather part ways with him before his new contract begins.
But head coach Sean Payton refused to address that financial situation, instead saying that benching Wilson was merely a competitive matter:
"Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this – and it's a decision I'm making – is to get a spark offensively."
The Broncos-Chargers game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.
