Russell Wilson Says He Wants to Stay with Broncos amid Release Rumors After Benching

Russell Wilson told reporters on Friday that he wants to remain with the Denver Broncos despite getting benched for backup Jarrett Stidham.

"I want to be here," Wilson said, per Troy Renck of Denver7. "I want to play here. I want to be able to win here. I want to win championships here. I want to give my all every week no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the score is."

In 2022, he signed a 5-year deal worth roughly $242 million contract with Denver.

He has a $37 million salary for the 2025 season which is currently guaranteed for injury only, although it becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2024 (via NFL Network's Mike Garafolo). If the Broncos plan to immediately cut him following the conclusion of the season, they'd likely want to ensure that he doesn't sustain an injury over the team's final two games.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic revealed on Wednesday that Wilson is "expecting to be cut" by Denver in March and has started games for nearly two months with the knowledge that the team would likely be moving on from him during the offseason.

The Broncos' front office also "threatened" the nine-time Pro Bowl passer if he didn't remove his injury guarantees, according to Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz. While Wilson didn't use the same term to describe the meeting, he confirmed the discussion regarding his contract guarantees with the team's front office took place.

"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 benched for the rest of the year," said Wilson, via Renck. "I think we had nine games left, I was definitely disappointed about it."

Renck noted that the Broncos reportedly wanted to push back the date on the injury guarantee during the meeting and potentially find a path for Wilson to remain with the team moving forward. However, the two sides were evidently unable to reach an agreement.

At 7-8, the Broncos' playoff chances were already slim heading into their matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Without Wilson starting, they'll be on the verge of missing the postseason for the eighth consecutive season.