NFL Insider: Russell Wilson Trade in June 2024 'Would Be Really Tough to Pull Off'

For better or worse, Russell Wilson is probably going to be the Denver Broncos quarterback through the 2024 season.

While the Wilson era has not been a successful one in Denver and trading him might seem like the right move for an organization that should consider a more comprehensive rebuild, actually doing so would be difficult, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted:

"His $17 million salary and $8.4 million option bonus in 2024 are guaranteed, and his $37 million salary in 2025 becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2024 league year. Even if the Broncos cut him before then, they have to pay handsomely. And the only way to massage the salary cap and avoid a large cap hit is with a post-June 1 trade, which would be really tough to pull off."

ESPN's Dan Graziano added that he believes the Broncos should release him before his 2025 guaranteed money kicks in, though that would incur around $35.4 million in dead cap in 2024 and $49 million in 2025, severe numbers.

But the alternative is paying him a base salary of $37 million in 2025, $40 million in 2026, $43 million in 2027 and $50 million in 2028, all for a quarterback who has gone 5-16 as Denver's starting quarterback with just 28 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions.