The Denver Broncos infamously agreed to a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks before the 2022 NFL season that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos in return for a massive haul of picks and players. Additionally, Wilson signed a massive contract with the Broncos. It’s already considered one of the worst trades in the history of the league, but it could look even worse.
The Broncos decided to cut Russell Wilson loose and take a record $85 million dead cap hit as a result, allowing him now to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the Broncos will continue to pay him to play for another team. It’s already a horrible situation for Denver, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, it will look even worse if Wilson succeeds in Pittsburgh.
“Unlike most bad trades of the past, this one has a potential third act that entails Wilson turning his career around in Pittsburgh, while the Broncos pay him $37.8 million to do so,” Florio wrote for Pro Football Talk.
“What a mess it would be for the Broncos if/when Wilson plays like he once did. If he performs at a high level, like he used to in Seattle. If the Steelers win enough games to get to the playoffs, and if they get their first playoff win since 2017.”
We’ll obviously have to see what happens, but this could be a pretty brutal situation for the Denver Broncos.
