Seahawks Ex Russell Wilson: In Danger Of Being 'Benched?'

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson enters this season with numerous question marks surrounding him.

During his debut season with the Denver Broncos, former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson endured a tumultuous year with the team, finishing with a disappointing record of 4-11 as a starter. As the Broncos seek to optimize the performance of the player for whom they paid a significant price, they brought in Sean Payton as their head coach during the offseason. However, according to a former general manager, this move implies that the quarterback will be under a short leash.

During an appearance on "Get Up" Thursday morning, former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum revealed that if Wilson struggles, Payton could employ it as a means to establish a culture within his new team of holding players accountable.

"I would be shocked if Russell Wilson was the starter for 17 games this season, and here's why. The conversations that Sean Payton is having with ownership year is about culture and accountability; it's Bill Parcells' approach,” Tannenbaum said. “He's going to see Russell Wilson as an opportunity to hold players accountable, and when there's a bump in the road, what's gonna happen is, he's really talking to Jerry Jeudy, Garrett Boles, the young nucleus of this team, to say, 'The standard is the standard,' and if I bench Russell Wilson, I can bench you.”

If Wilson were to encounter difficulties this year and end up on Denver's bench, it would be challenging for the team to transition away from him. After his trade from Seattle, Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos, which would result in a significant dead cap hit of $85 million if he were to be released in 2024.

Wilson will have his initial opportunity to prove himself under Payton in Week 1, as the Broncos welcome the Las Vegas Raiders to Empower Field on Sept. 10th.

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