Former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski has offered an honest opinion on the Denver Broncos’ decision to bench quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Broncos appear to be moving on from the veteran quarterback as they will sit him for the final two games of the season, with Jarrett Stidham to start in his place, much like he did for Derek Carr after he was benched by the Raiders around the same time last year.
The Broncos are keen on Wilson remaining healthy as they don’t want to risk the additional $37 million that would become guaranteed if he cannot pass a physical by March 2024.
The QB is already guaranteed $39 million for next season and is not playing up to the level of someone making such money. So perhaps it is understandable that the Broncos would want to bench him amid their bleak playoff prospects.
Gronk, who made another appearance on Kay Adams’ ‘Up And Adams’ podcast this Wednesday, called it as he saw it, pointing out that Wilson is not head coach Sean Payton’s man.
“I don’t think Russell Wilson is his (Sean Payton’s) guy,” he said. “Obviously if they can get out of his contract and get away from paying him next year, I’m not really sure how it works, or the year after, they’re going to do that. They’re going to move on and they’re going to get strategic about this situation in order to move on where it doesn’t hurt them financially…Russell Wilson isn’t the leader they were looking for.”
Finding a trade partner for Wilson might be difficult for Denver to pull off given the money he’s owed.
Still, a team could be willing to give him a shot in the belief that he could thrive in another system.
