Denver Broncos general manager George Paton has opened up on his team’s doomed trade for Russell Wilson after the franchise called time on the quarterback’s two-year spell with the team.
The Broncos completed one of the biggest trades in NFL history in 2022 when they sent three players, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a fifth to Seattle to land Wilson.
Denver then handed Wilson a huge contract extension, only to see the team slump to a 5-12 record in 2022 before bouncing back slightly last year with an 8-9 finish.
The Broncos took a huge salary cap hit to release Wilson ahead of free agency this month, with the Pittsburgh Steelers quickly signing him up.
Speaking at the annual league meeting, Paton has now discussed the failed Wilson experiment, insisting that there were a number of reasons behind the team’s poor form these past two years.
“We took a shot on a quarterback who’s had a lot of success in this league,’' Paton told KUSA. “Nine Pro Bowls, won the most in the first 10 years in this league. It wasn’t just Russ. There’s a lot of contributing factors as to why we didn’t win. At the end of the day, we didn’t play good enough offense.
“We didn’t win enough games. I’m accountable for that. No one tried harder than Russ to make this work. Appreciate his effort, the professionalism he showed. Total pro. Wish him the best in Pittsburgh, he’s going to a good team. Just wish the best.”
With Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci the only two quarterbacks on the roster, the Broncos now look likely to draft a new quarterback in next month’s draft.
They currently hold the number 12 selection in the first round, but may need to execute a trade and move up if they are to beat a number of other QB-needy teams to one of the top prospects.
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