The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact of Russell Wilson’s Release

Ken Kelly Posted On March 4, 2024

Two years ago, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks made one of the biggest trades in NFL history as Denver paid handsomely for the services of Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson. To recap, this was the trade (now in its entirety):

Broncos receive:

QB Russell Wilson
2022 fourth-round pick (DL Eyioma Uwazurike, Iowa State)
Lots of used up cap space

Seahawks receive:

QB Drew Lock
DT Shelby Harris
TE Noah Fant
2022 first-round pick (OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State)
2022 second-round pick (OLB Boye Mafe, Minnesota)
2022 fifth-round pick (OLB Tyreke Smith, Ohio State)
2023 first-round pick (CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois)
2023 second-round pick (EDGE Derick Hall, Auburn)
A whole lot of cap space

After the trade was finalized, the Broncos rushed to sign Wilson to a massive five-year, $242 million contract extension – a deal which included a whopping $161 million in guaranteed money. The move was supposed to shore up the quarterback position for Denver and give them their post-Peyton Manning answer for the long-term.

Today, just two years later, Wilson was informed of his imminent release.

It’s an amazing turn of events that puts into the spotlight once again a trade that could go down as the worst single transaction in the history of the NFL. Wilson will now hit free agency and is set to sign elsewhere when the new league year begins and his release is official. Meanwhile, the Broncos are going to take a cap hit of more than $85 million over the next two years just to have Wilson not play for them. It’s a crazy ending to one of the weirdest eras in a team’s history and puts a lot of dynasty values in flux.

Let’s reset the market and see how this news affects the players on our dynasty teams.

Russell Wilson, QB FA

Wow. Just WOW.

Wilson was a model of consistency in Seattle for ten years, an era which included a Super Bowl Championship and multiple deep playoff runs, including an infamous Super Bowl loss that would have given Seattle back-to-back titles. He was routinely a Pro Bowl level player and a mainstay in dynasty lineups as a “set it and forget it” QB1. However, he and then long-time Head Coach Pete Carroll drifted apart and it was time to say goodbye, thus the trade to the Mile High City.

He was supposed to be the same player in Denver and many expected even better numbers as he was blessed with weapons like Javonte Williams, Jerry Jeudy, and Courtland Sutton just to name a few. Instead, Nathaniel Hackett proved to be a poor hire and the Wilson-led offense in 2022 sputtered mightily, leading to Hackett’s dismissal before his first season was even over. Wilson himself was an abject disaster, throwing for only 3,524 yards with just 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His QBR of 38.7 was the worst of his career by far and he simply looked lost for most of the year. Many believed it couldn’t get worse.

Enter Sean Payton and enter “worse.”

The long-time Saints Head Coach took over in Denver last year and it was crystal clear from the start Wilson was not “his guy.” Multiple arguments ensued throughout the year and Wilson himself ended up being benched for the final two games, a move the franchise said was to provide an offensive spark but one Wilson claims stemmed from his refusal to re-work his contract. Regardless, that was the end and today’s announcement seemed imminent. In short, there was no going back.

Despite the bumpy road last year, Wilson proved he still has something left in the tank. While he wasn’t Drew Brees (be careful what you wish for or expect), he did throw for over 3,000 yards with 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions on the season. While this wasn’t vintage “Dangeruss,” it was still a solid season by most measures.

So, now what?

Wilson immediately becomes a desirable (and much lower cost than he was a couple of years ago) option for teams with a window to compete right now but also the need for a signal caller. The list of initial teams most commonly connected with Wilson includes the Steelers, Raiders, Falcons, Patriots, Vikings, and Commanders. However, it really seems the Steelers are the heavy favorites to sign him and that would be very, very interesting. Regardless of where he ends up, he should be able to post QB2 numbers at the very least and there could still be some QB1 magic left in him. One thing is certain – Wilson is going to be very motivated to prove this whole debacle was on the Broncos and not on him. Contending dynasty teams could do worse when shopping for a backup for their elite-level QB1.

Jarrett Stidham, QB DEN

The Broncos are now firmly in the market for a new quarterback. While Stidham is currently atop the depth chart (Denver also has Ben DiNucci), there’s just no way this is how it ends up. In fact, Stidham became the 12th quarterback to start a game for the Broncos since the beginning of the 2016 season, which is crazy for a franchise known for stability. In short, they need a long-term answer and Stidham just seems unlikely to be it, especially with the pressure Payton is under now. With the combine performance of JJ McCarthy, it also seems unlikely Denver will be able to stand pat and get their hands on the fourth quarterback (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye seem destined to go 1-2-3 in the NFL Draft), especially if they wanted McCarthy. They may need to move up if they want to go with a youth movement or try their hand with a veteran (more on that later). Unfortunately, they also have limited draft capital, making this whole thing even more bizarre. I certainly wouldn’t be rushing to the waiver wire or trade front to get Stidham.

Denver Skill Players

The group of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, and Tim Patrick are still there (though Patrick could be let go). The cupboard isn’t bare but you really have to wonder just how good this group is. Jeudy has struggled more than most could have imagined, Sutton has had moments, Mims is still young and Patrick is coming off an injury. This whole group’s value is in flux until we see just who will be throwing them the ball but it’s also hard to see any of them being “buy low” targets at the moment. They really just haven’t panned out, to be honest.

Free Agent Quarterbacks

With players like Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, Gardner Minshew, Jacoby Brissett, and Jameis Winston potentially hitting the market, Denver is undoubtedly going to kick the tires in a lot of different directions. You could even add Justin Fields to the mix as Denver suddenly could be a team who could trade for the current Bears starter. It’s anyone’s guess as to which direction they’ll go but their decision is going to be one of the most interesting this off-season. If you thought your job had pressure, welcome to the new world of Sean Payton.

Wow. Just WOW.

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK