NFL Draft

What Did the Broncos Trade for Russell Wilson?

Here's a quick refresher on one of the worst trades in NFL history.

Luke Easterling

What Did the Broncos Trade for Russell Wilson?
What Did the Broncos Trade for Russell Wilson? /

When the Denver Broncos traded a massive haul to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson, he was expected to be the next legendary quarterback to lead them back to the Super Bowl.

Instead, with two games remaining in just his second season with the team, Wilson is being benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham, despite the fact the Denver hasn't been eliminated from playoff contention yet.

Wilson struggled through a dismal first season in Denver under head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who didn't even finish out the year before being relieved of his duties. In an effort to salvage the trade for Wilson, the Broncos gave up even more premium assets to the New Orleans Saints to bring Sean Payton out of his brief retirement, hoping Payton's track record of success would bring out the version of Wilson that put up incredible numbers in Seattle.

Instead, Wilson appears likely to be headed elsewhere in the offseason, despite the hefty dead cap hit the Broncos will have to eat over the next two seasons if they move on.

Here's a quick refresher on everything the Broncos gave up for the right to sign Wilson to the massive contract extension that's now weighing them down:

Seattle added a treasure trove of draft picks and players, while the Broncos ended up with a quarterback who has been a shell of his former self, has now been benched with a playoff spot still in the balance, and will likely be sent elsewhere despite a massive salary cap burden.

Ouch.

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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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