The Denver Broncos put all their eggs in one basket with Russell Wilson – and lost. The bitter consequence: With a record dead cap and meagre draft prospects, the hardest time is just beginning.

Russell Wilson is history in Denver. The problems remain. And they are bigger than ever.

With the dismissal of the 35-year-old quarterback, the Broncos have completed the separation that had been foreshadowed at least since his demotion to the bench on the last two days of the last regular season.

Like all his predecessors, Wilson was also unable to fill the gap left by Peyton Manning after his career ended following the 2015 season.

But what sets Wilson apart from the Trevor Siemians, Brock Osweilers or Drew Locks before: the extent of the failure and its consequences.

85 million dollar dead cap as a mortgage for the future

With Wilson’s release, an insane 85 million dollar dead cap will burden the Broncos in the coming season and in the 2025 season. NFL negative record for a single player! A massive cap hit of 35.4 million dollars is expected for the coming season. In 2025 it would even be 49.6 million dollars.

Due to a compensation clause, a double-digit million dollar dead cap is likely even if Wilson finds a new team.

The “Taylor Swift bonus”, which the NFL teams can look forward to with the league-wide increase in cap space for the new season, has evaporated for the Broncos.

The shoe is on the other foot when it comes to the salary budget: according to “Spotrac”, the Broncos are still more than 19 million dollars over the cap space approved for 2024. Only the Buffalo Bills have more budget to clear. The difference: the Bills already have a playoff team. And a franchise quarterback.

The Broncos, on the other hand, now have to thin out their team even further and are back to square one in their quarterback search.

Free agency: No long-term solution in sight

Candidates for contract restructurings or a separation would include wide receiver Tim Patrick, defensive lineman D.J. Jones, offensive tackle Garett Bolles or cornerback and special teamer Tremon Smith.

And then there’s Jarrett Stidham. The 27-year-old is the current number one at the quarterback position following Wilson’s departure. However, with four appearances from the start in five NFL seasons, a total of eight touchdowns and just as many interceptions, there is more to be said for a separation than a future with the Broncos. After all, parting ways with Stidham would mean potential savings of five million dollars.

Denver only signed the current number two, Ben DiNucci, to a reserve/future contract for the season in January. DiNucci, who is also 27 years old, will therefore cost the Broncos relatively little.

However, with only one NFL start in 2020 and only XFL game experience since then, DiNucci is unlikely to play a serious role in the quarterback planning. Especially since head coach Sean Payton already announced at the Combine that he would be looking for a new quarterback: “We better.”

First chance in the quarterback search: Free agency starting next week. But even if Wilson has never lived up to expectations, it will be difficult to find a replacement who is both of equal quality and affordable for the Broncos. Kirk Cousins would be another financial feat. Baker Mayfield impressed last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are therefore desperate to keep him.

Jacoby Brissett has not yet been able to establish himself as a franchise quarterback in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill was more of an appendage to the Tennessee Titans’ strong running game and, at 35, is not a promising solution either.

Draft prospects: Every pick has to be right

That leaves the draft as the last quarterback hope. But here, too, the Wilson trade recently turned into a boomerang for the Broncos: Denver gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick in 2021 to sign Wilson. As a result, the Broncos have only had three top 45 picks in the past four drafts. Not least because of this decision to pass on rookies and the relatively favorable contracts, Denver now has its back to the wall.

And the prospects for the 2024 draft are also bleak: Denver will pick twelfth in the first round. By then, the biggest quarterback talents Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels should be long off the market. At least Sean Payton met with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy at the Combine. But even for him, a trade could be necessary.

Because the Broncos’ second-round pick this year has gone to the New Orleans Saints, the Broncos won’t be back until round three at 76th overall. If the Broncos don’t get every pick, the draft promises to be more of a breeze than a breath of fresh air for the team.

Consolation in Russell Wilson’s farewell message

In their official statement on Wilson’s release, the Broncos wrote: “We look forward to improving this offseason and have the flexibility to add to our roster through the draft and free agency.”

The pressure to save money, mediocre draft positions and the countless failed new starts in recent years stand in the way of this. In a division with the Kansas City Chiefs and the insatiable Patrick Mahomes, reinforcements are urgently needed.

Broncos fans can take solace from Wilson’s farewell message of all things. “Tough times don’t last,” he wrote there. Denver will probably still have to be patient after eight playoff-less years

Thank You Broncos Country – 3 pic.twitter.com/3IoVheYVyI

– Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 4, 2024