NFL Draft

Broncos Bench Russell Wilson, Completing One of the Worst Trades in NFL History

It looked like a bad deal then, and it's only gotten worse for Denver.

Luke Easterling

Broncos Bench Russell Wilson, Completing One of the Worst Trades in NFL History
Broncos Bench Russell Wilson, Completing One of the Worst Trades in NFL History /

From the moment it was executed, NFL fans and analysts alike had their doubts that the Denver Broncos would be getting their money's worth in the blockbuster trade they made with the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson.

Denver sent a massive haul to Seattle in return for Wilson, including two first-round draft picks and two second-round draft picks, along with three veteran players and more.

After a dismal first season under head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who didn't even finish the year before getting fired, Wilson has been inconsistent at best working with new head coach Sean Payton this season.

That inconsistency finally led to a big move Wednesday, as the Broncos benched Wilson for the final two games of the regular season, opting for career backup Jarrett Stidham despite still having a chance to make the playoffs.

In case you need a refresher, here's the full trade that went down between the Broncos and Seahawks for Wilson:

Witherspoon and Cross are already quality starters for Seattle, while Mafe looks well on his way to joining them. Lock engineered an epic comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles in relief of an injured Geno Smith two weeks ago. 

Here are the financial implications of the Broncos benching, and likely moving on from Wilson in the offseason:

It's safe to say that this was absolutely one of the worst trades in NFL history, unless you're a Seahawks fan.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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