The Denver Broncos’ decision to bench Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson caught the masses by surprise.
Sure, Wilson is not the same player that dominated during his time with the Seattle Seahawks. But he’s still a quality starter in today’s NFL.
Denver made the decision based solely on finances. It doesn’t want the $37 million in injury guarantees for the 2025 season to kick in. Hence, why Wilson is riding the pine rather than attempting to keep his team in the playoff race heading into Week 17.
This is also a clear indication that Wilson has indeed played his final snap with the Broncos after just two seasons. Denver will release him ahead of the new league year opening up in March. He’ll then hit NFL free agency.
Based on Wilson’s track record and performance in 2023, he should be able to land a starting gig on the open market. Here is a look at five ideal destinations.
Related: Russell Wilson and the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks
Las Vegas Raiders find stopgap quarterback option
Las Vegas’ previous brass of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler made the decision to sign Jimmy Garoppolo last spring as a stopgap option. That experiment lasted all of six games before Garoppolo himself was benched. The Raiders will now move on from the veteran once the 2023 season comes to a conclusion.
Vegas’ late-season run under interim head coach Antonio Pierce makes it nearly impossible for the team to land one of the top-two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Instead, it will likely have to go a tier below with someone like Jayden Daniels from LSU or Oregon’s Bo Nix. In this scenario, Wilson would come in as a stopgap option for the Raiders.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft
Pittsburgh Steelers sign Russell Wilson
Kenny Pickett has not proven to be the answer in Pittsburgh. Veteran Mitch Trubisky is playing out the string and will likely be released this coming offseason. It’s just the continuation of quarterback troubles that have plagued Mike Tomlin’s squad since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement following the 2021 season.
As with the Raiders, Pittsburgh is not in position to land one of the top quarterbacks in April’s draft. The team might also simply come to the conclusion that Pickett is not the answer under center. While there are a ton of variables in play here, Pittsburgh would be an ideal fit for Wilson.
Washington Commanders take a chance on veteran QB
Sam Howell has been benched in each of the past two games. He leads the NFL in interceptions and doesn’t seem to be the long-term solution for the downtrodden Commanders. We’re also hearing rumors that Washington is targeting Caleb Williams in the draft. Right now, it would be picking third overall. That means a trade up would have to be in the cards.
- Russell Wilson stats (2023): 66% completion, 3,070 yards, 26 TD, 8 INT
Instead of going that route, Washington could opt to sign Wilson as a short-term option while trading down from the third pick to land an heir-apparent.
Obviously, a lot of this is going to depend on who is calling the shots for Josh Harris’ squad. Head coach Ron Rivera will be fired after Week 18. General manager Martin Mayhew could follow him out the door. With Harris likely looking to make a splash and Washington being linked to Bill Belichick, a packaged deal with Wilson could make sense.
Related: Ultimate QB depth chart for all 32 NFL teams
Tennessee Titans land Russell Wilson
Rookie quarterback Will Levis had his ups and downs before going down with injury. Veteran Ryan Tannehill will be a free agent this coming March. In short, the Titans’ quarterback situation is very much up in the air moving forward.
Short of Tennessee opting to go into a full-scale rebuild after its second consecutive losing season, acquiring a veteran like Wilson would seemingly make sense. This scenario would include the Titans re-signing running back Derrick Henry and retaining star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. On the surface, it would create a darn good offense in Nashville.
Related: NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Atlanta Falcons go veteran route
Atlanta has core pieces in place at the skill positions. Bijan Robinson looks every bit the part of a franchise running back. Wide receiver Drake London upped his game as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Kyle Pitts still has elite-level talent.
It’s been all about poor quarterback play for the Falcons this season (14 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions). Desmond Ridder has proven that he’s not the answer for Atlanta. Benching him multiple times during the quarterback’s sophomore season adds another layer to that.
Some might believe that the Falcons should be headed for a rebuild. But that’s not in the cards under win-now 81-year-old owner Arthur Blank. Adding Russell Wilson on the cheap as a bridge would make a ton of sense.