Could the New England Patriots bring in Russell Wilson to man the quarterback position for them next season? Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports thinks it’s a possibility.
The Denver Broncos have benched Wilson with two games remaining, a clear indication that the team plans to move on from him this coming offseason.
If and when that comes to fruition, Benjamin thinks the Patriots could be near the front of the line of clubs looking to acquire him.
Since Tom Brady departed via free agency in March 2020, New England has not exactly filled his shoes. It tried Cam Newton as a stopgap in 2020, but that was an unmitigated disaster. That ensuing offseason, the Pats drafted Mac Jones, but he has now been benched three years into his NFL career. Bailey Zappe is currently under center for the squad, but he does not inspire much confidence going forward.
Obviously, the Patriots are in need of a quarterback, and Wilson could fit the bill.
Of course, there is also a chance that New England opts to go the rebuild route by taking a signal-caller in the NFL Draft again. That didn’t really work out when it took Jones back in 2021, so perhaps the Pats would prefer to roll with the more proven commodity in Wilson.
Wilson has bounced back in 2023 after a miserable debut campaign in Denver, throwing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 66.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 98.
The catch is that Wilson just turned 35 years old and the Patriots are not ready to win now. New England’s offense has been brutal this season, and while much of that has to do with its instability at quarterback, there is more to it than that. The team lacks elite weaponry in the aerial attack, and it could also use more help in the backfield.
On the bright side, however, the Pats are slated to have tons of cap room this spring, so they should be able to fill some holes in free agency.
Should the Patriots decide to pursue Russell Wilson, they would be making a decision to contend immediately, and Bill Belichick and Co. would almost certainly act accordingly.
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