Broncos analyst acknowledges Russell Wilson trade to potentially be “one of the worst trades in the history of the NFL”

In a recap of the Broncos 2024 offseason, an analyst acknowledged the disastrous nature of Russell Wilson's trade from the Seahawks.

After spending two years with the team, the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But it is Denver that is paying most of his salary.

The way the contract was structured means that $85 million will count in dead cap space against the Broncos for a player who no longer plays for them. That's bound to constrain who Denver can sign to build a strong team.

Russell Wilson has left them in a hole, having had two losing seasons since joining from Seattle and failing to qualify for the playoffs both times. Broncos Wire analyst Brandon Walker summarized those thoughts in a piece, writing:

"After the 2023 season ended, it was widely expected that the Broncos would release quarterback Russell Wilson.

"Right before the 2024 league year began, Denver announced they would release their $245 million man, and would take on an $85 million dead money hit to their cap space over the next two years."

He also called the quarterback's end ignominous and declared it as one of the worst trades of all time. He concluded:

"Wilson’s ignominious end with the franchise was the culmination of two tumultuous years, and what many consider to be one of the worst trades in the history of the NFL."

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Will Bo Nix fare better than Russell Wilson did with the Broncos?

The replacement for Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback for the Broncos is expected to be Bo Nix.

It has been reported that Sean Payton, whose relationship with the current Steelers star looked frayed by the end of last season, thinks of newly drafted player very highly. It has been said that the Broncos feel about the rookie the same way their head coach did about Patrick Mahomes when he entered the league.

However, when the Chiefs star entered, he could depend on players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. He also got to sit behind Alex Smith for a year, learning the ropes form a very good veteran quarterback.

Bo Nix won't have any such luxury, with big-name players hard to come by when Denver is paying so much in dead cap value, adding to the criticism of the Russell Wilson trade. He might not make an immediate impact, so fans might need to be patient with him to see the results.