Russell Wilson has reportedly been given the green light to speak with other teams ahead of the Denver Broncos releasing him next week, according to ESPN.
After two seasons together and an 11-19 record, the Broncos told the quarterback that they would release him on Wednesday when the new league year begins.
Wilson never led Denver to the playoffs, and he was benched the final two games of his brief tenure by head coach Sean Payton. He finished last season with 3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do,” Wilson, 35, said in a statement. “God’s got me. I am excited for what’s next.”
Wilson and the Broncos’ public divorce came and went with as much spectacle as the process to bring him to the Mile-High City.
After 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft, nine Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl, the relationship had dissolved and the two sides wanted to move on.
Denver swooped in, sending two first-round, two second-round and a fifth-round pick, as well as three players, to the Seahawks for Wilson and a fourth-round selection on March 16, 2022.
On September 1, 2022, the Broncos signed Wilson to a five-year, $242.6 million extension. Over the next two seasons, Denver will deal with $85 million in dead money as a result of the release.
