Russell Wilson is currently facing a challenging phase in his career. He has not only been benched for the rest of the games, but the Denver Broncos quarterback also saw a glimpse of his upcoming future with the franchise. Head coach Sean Payton shared a story about Wilson’s potential upcoming worries amid multiple updates.
The Broncos have almost decided Wilson’s future by recently favoring Jarret Stidham over him. Wilson’s hefty contract, a five-year deal worth $242.6 million signed in 2022, could pose salary cap challenges if he does not start in 2024. Payton has already been vocal about his team’s dissatisfaction with the team’s offense. Now, he is vocalizing Wilson’s potential ‘bonus’ future by giving two noticeable examples.
Will Russell Wilson be given his bonus?
Russell Wilson signed a five-year, $242,588,236 contract with the Orange Crush, including a $50-million signing bonus, $161 million guaranteed money, and an average annual salary of $48,517,647. Now, as the rumors are that Wilson might be released before March, his bonus salary is in doubt. In a recent interview, coach Sean Payton shared two examples of where the bonus-giving scene emerged in front of him in the past and how he handles the players’ performance bonuses. Payton said, “There’ll be these performance bonuses, and generally, I’m not aware of them, but as you get towards the end, you know.“
He first gave an example of Emmanuel Sanders, saying, “I said Emmanuel, I know why you’re here. I said you’re gonna have four catches before the end of the first quarter and it’s going into a 529 plan, it’s half a million dollars, and you’re staying in the game.” Citing another example of Alex Okafor at his time in the Raiders (now with the Chiefs), Payton said that Okafor needed one more sack to earn a bonus of $250k. However, since they were resting their starters and didn’t want Okafor to risk injury, the coach decided not to play him. Instead, he told Okafor they would still pay him the bonus even though he didn’t meet the on-field requirement. Payton emphasized that sometimes, these bonuses come up, and they try to do the right thing for the players.
However, this time, it’s about Wilson. And considering his heavy salary plus the on-off relations with Payton, it seems Wilson isn’t getting any chance, especially when he has been kept out of the games.
Why is Russell Wilson benched?
The poor performance and offensive struggles are one reason, but Russell Wilson’s weighty contract is another reason Sean Payton decided to bench him. Wilson’s contract initially had a unique structure, with seven total contract years but only three years guaranteed. The fourth year had injury guarantees, but these guarantees were not considered very valuable.
Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) before the game against the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
However, his injury guarantee would convert to a full guarantee. This conversion was supposed to happen not before his fourth year with the Broncos (2025) but before the third year (2024). This specific provision in his contract is why he has been benched. If Wilson were injured this season, the Broncos would have to pay his fully guaranteed contract before the season ends.
Read more: End of an Era? Sunday Could Be Russell Wilson’s Last Day With the Broncos
But by benching him, they strategically avoided the substantial financial responsibility linked to Wilson’s $37 million salary cap.
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