Russell Wilson Rumors: NFL Insiders Expect Broncos to Cut QB by Next Week

The clock is ticking on Russell Wilson's time as a member of the Denver Broncos, with a resolution expected to come very soon.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, people around the NFL believe the Broncos are preparing to release Wilson by next week.

This matches up with comments head coach Sean Payton made on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. He said they anticipate a decision will come "within the next two weeks."

The absolute latest the Broncos can wait to release Wilson is March 17. That's the date his $37 million injury guarantee for the 2025 season becomes fully guaranteed.

If there was some hope that Denver might be able to find a team desperate for a quarterback to trade for Wilson, general manager George Paton noted the club hasn't received any offers.

"I haven't heard anything from any teams," Paton said on Tuesday. "We'll see."

Releasing Wilson will come at a steep price for the Broncos. They will absorb an $85 million dead-cap hit, though they can spread that out over two seasons if he's designated as a post-June 1 cut.

For comparison, the Green Bay Packers took on a $40.3 million dead-cap charge last season after trading Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. The Los Angeles Rams had the most dead-cap money of any team in the league at $78.6 million.

Wilson had something a rebound season in 2023 after a disastrous first year in Denver. He threw for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and a 66.4 completion percentage in 15 starts before being benched for the final two games.