The Denver Broncos and quarterback Russell Wilson appear to be headed for a messy divorce, and New York Jets superstar Aaron Rodgers provided his thoughts on the situation earlier this week.
During his usual Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said that this type of thing happens more often than the fans realize.
“Look, the NFL is a great profession, it’s a tough business,” Rodgers said. “And this type of stuff is more commonplace than you would think. Obviously, we’re talking about a premier player here and some bizarre circumstances.”
Rodgers was referring to the Broncos deciding to bench Wilson with two games remaining in the regular season after he refused to defer his $37 million injury guarantee.
Clearly, there is a disconnect between Wilson and Denver head coach Sean Payton, and Rodgers acknowledged that Wilson probably wasn’t Payton’s first choice. Payton inherited Wilson when he took over as coach in 2023.
Rodgers also credited Wilson for the way he has handled the situation.
“My heart actually goes out to Russ for dealing with this,” said Aaron Rodgers. “Say whatever you want about him, I think he’s handled this pretty well. I definitely applaud him for speaking on it because it’s a tough situation.”
The Broncos originally acquired Wilson in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks in March 2022 with the expectation that the nine-time Pro Bowler would transform their franchise.
Instead, Wilson trudged through the worst season of his career in his debut campaign in the Mile High City, totaling 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has certainly bounced back this year, posting 26 touchdowns and eight picks, but his $245 million contract does not seem to be something Payton and Broncos brass are comfortable with moving forward.
Russell Wilson is expected to be released by Denver once the season concludes.
The Broncos are 7-9 on the year.
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