Broncos reportedly threatened to bench Russell Wilson 'weeks ago' if he didn't restructure his contract

The Denver Broncos' decision to bench QB Russell Wilson for the remainder of the season apparently wasn't as abrupt as it appeared or performance-based as initially reported. 

On Wednesday, it was announced that Denver (7-8) is benching Wilson in favor of Jarrett Stidham, signaling the end of the Super Bowl XLVIII champion's disastrous Broncos tenure. Despite Denver's current 1-3 skid, Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reports that the decision has been in place since October when the Broncos threatened to bench Wilson if he didn't restructure his contract. Schultz adds that Wilson's benching "is solely financially related" rather than "a football decision," which NFL Network's Ian Rapoport previously reported. 

"The Broncos approached Wilson two days after their October 29 upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs and told him he would be made inactive for the rest of the season if he did not adjust his contract and defer the injury guarantee trigger date that he has for 2025," Schultz wrote on the social media platform X. "Wilson has $37 million in injury guarantees for 2025 that will become guaranteed no matter what on the fifth day of the 2024 league year in March."

"At that time, Wilson was coming off a three-touchdown game in the win over the Chiefs and was starting to experience the type of success he envisioned following a challenging first year in Denver," Schultz continued. "The threat however, 'shocked him,' and the two sides got into a major dispute on how to proceed."

Considering the Broncos rattled off three wins after the incident to extend their then-winning streak to five games, it would've been difficult to bench Wilson and keep the locker room under control. But with the Broncos' playoff hopes virtually over, HC Sean Payton can finally make the move it seems that he has been itching to make since arriving in Denver. Wilson finishes his second season as a Bronco with 3,070 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns and eight interceptions in 15 games. 

In the wake of his benching, Wilson expects to be cut by Denver in March, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, which would make him the most polarizing free agent on the market this offseason. Wilson seems like a logical fit for a team like the Atlanta Falcons, whom ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum believes could be interested in the nine-time Pro Bowler, along with the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants.