Russell Wilson confirmed to reporters Friday that the Broncos forced his hand over his contract.
Denver threatened to bench the quarterback in October if he refused to defer his $37 million (A$54m) injury guarantee, according to Wilson.
“They came up to me during the bye week and beginning of the bye week, Monday or Tuesday, they told me if I didn’t change my contract, my injury guarantee, that I’d be benched the rest of the year,” Wilson told reporters Friday.
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“I was definitely disappointed about it. It was a process for the whole bye week.
“We had just come off beating the Chiefs, I was excited for us fighting for the playoffs and getting on a hot streak. The NFLPA and NFL got involved or whatever at some point.”
Wilson, 35, was officially benched Wednesday, days after the Broncos fell to 7-8 and slipped further out of the playoff picture.
All of this comes after Wilson was traded from the Seahawks in March 2022, and he inked a five-year, $242.6 million contract extension with Denver.
But things have not worked out for the Broncos in another underwhelming season.
Much of the benching drama has surrounded Wilson’s $37 million injury guarantee for 2025 and the March 2024 trigger date.
The veteran signal-caller told reporters Friday that he was never going to restructure that part of the deal.
“I wasn’t going to take away injury guarantees,” he said per The Athletic. “This game is such a physical game. I’ve played for 12 years and that matters to me.”
Despite the benching drama, Wilson said he still wants to be in Denver in the future.
“I came here to play here, to win. I knew it was going to be a process. I signed a seven-year deal for us to go and play hard. That’s my goal every time I step in between the white lines, is give everything I have,” Wilson added. “I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to be able to win here, I want to win championships here. I want to give my all every week, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the score is.
“I want to be the best teammate and leader I can be in the midst of it all. That’s why I was out here at practice every day. I told Jarrett [Stidham], I’ll help him and do whatever it takes to keep the guys going and try to lead the right way. That’s all I know.”
The Broncos are set to face the Chargers on Sunday with their slim playoff chances in limbo, and if missed, it will be the eighth consecutive season.
– This first appeared in the NY Post and was republished with consent.
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