The Denver Broncos decided to part ways with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson this week after two disappointing seasons with him as their starter. But simply cutting Wilson does not solve all of the team’s problems.
As NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated points out, the Russell Wilson contract presents a very big problem for the Broncos going forward given the $85 million of dead cap space the team faces over the next two years.
“Re: @Broncos’ situation … Real damage of the Russell Wilson contract is if they draft a QB in the 1st round, his $85 million in dead money will effectively strip Denver of the rookie-contract advantage for the first 2 years of the new QB’s career. They’re navigating that now,” Breer said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Re: @Broncos' situation … Real damage of the Russell Wilson contract is if they draft a QB in the 1st round, his $85 million in dead money will effectively strip Denver of the rookie-contract advantage for the first 2 years of the new QB's career.
They're navigating that now.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 7, 2024
Typically, when a team selects a quarterback in the draft who immediately becomes their starter, they have an advantage for the first few years of the quarterback’s career as the rookie contract is much lower than a veteran starting quarterback would command on an open market.
But with the Broncos now facing $85 million in dead cap space over the past few years, that advantage is essentially gone, presenting a big problem for the Broncos even if they do go with a rookie quarterback going forward.
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