"If that's the case, take $25 million a year not $49 million" - Mike Florio ridicules Russell Wilson's 'team first' claim during contract talks
Russell Wilson is a lot richer now at the start of September than he was at the start of August.
Many expected the quarterback to play at least a year on his current deal before the Denver Broncos were forced to capitulate and give him a massive extension. Instead, before Wilson even played one snap for the franchise, he has been locked in until he's 40 years old.
The player recently claimed the deal was done with a team-first mentality, but one NFL analyst has scoffed at that claim after looking at the numbers. Speaking on Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio called his claim "a little ridiculous."
Here's how Russell Wilson made his case during a press conference shown on Pro Football Talk:
"To me, what it was really about is being able to win championships and being able to have enough space in the salary cap so George [Payton] can make his magic. And we can get guys like Randy Gregory when he comes on the team or other great players…"
The quarterback went on to state that the goal was to make Denver a place where talent can be brought in:
"We want to make this a destination location. … And so for me, it wasn't really about how much necessarily [as it was] about how many Super Bowls we can win."
Mike Florio responded curtly, shooting down Wilson's framing of the deal:
"Well, if that's the case, take 25 million a year and not 49 million a year. And there is a point where that becomes a little ridiculous because he's still taking a deal that puts him close to the top of the market. And that's always the balance."
He went on to explain how the deal compared to the ones Tom Brady and Peyton Manning signed:
"You got Tom Brady on one end with the reputation he had for always taking far less than he could get if he really wanted to push it and Peyton Manning on the other end, who never left an ounce of meat on the bone."
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Florio also hinted that Wilson's deal is closer to that of Manning:
"Manning's attitude was, 'It's my job to get paid as much as I can. It's your job to manage the salary cap,' and where's Russell Wilson on that scale? He's still getting a pretty healthy contract."
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Russell Wilson's new home
With Russell Wilson joining the Denver Broncos, most agree the NFC West is likely to be dominated by the reigning Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams. However, Wilson has joined a division featuring a hegemon that has won a Super Bowl in the last few seasons and been to another.
The Kansas City Chiefs, while on a downward trend, are still seen as one of the top teams in the conference. The Las Vegas Raiders have bolstered their roster by signing Davante Adams. The Los Angeles Chargers are often viewed as a team just one small spark away from taking the league by storm under Justin Herbert.
Will Denver's new quarterback rustle away control of the division away from the Chiefs while keeping the Chargers and Raiders at bay? In his last full season, Russell Wilson went 12-4 and threw for 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. However, in 2021, he went 6-8 and threw for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The Broncos will hope that Wilson gets back to his numbers from two years ago ahead of what promises to be an exciting season.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit Pro Football Talk and H/T Sportskeeda.