NFL Rumors: League exec. hints at Russell Wilson playing for Broncos’ rivals in 2024
Russell Wilson has had an adventurous two years as the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, to say the least. The franchise traded away a massive haul to acquire him in 2022 and backed it up by giving him one of the largest contracts in NFL history.
This obviously put high expectations on Wilson, but his first year with the team was a complete disaster.
The Broncos ended Wilson's first season with a disappointing 5-12 record, resulting in Nathaniel Hackett being fired. They replaced the first-time head coach with Sean Payton, a former Super Bowl winner, in another expensive trade.
This was theoretically supposed to help them get to the next level and compete for a ring, but again, things didn't go according to plan.
Denver finished the 2023 NFL season with just an 8-9 record and missed out on the NFL playoffs once again. Making things even worse, Payton made the bold decision to bench Russell Wilson for the final two weeks of the season, replacing him with Jarrett Stidham.
This has resulted in many rumors swirling around the league that Wilson could be on his way out of Denver this year.
If the Broncos do, in fact, decide to move on from Wilson and allow Payton to choose his next quarterback, it will be interesting to see where he ends up next season.
An anonymous NFL executive recently suggested in a shocking rumor that he could go to an unexpected potential destination.
Here's what the unnamed source had to say, via ESPN:
"[The Raiders] need a vet, and they are one of Wilson's original teams he wanted to go to. He'd stay in the [AFC West], West Coast, and [Wilson's wife] Ciara can do a [Las Vegas] residency [as a live performer]."
Russell Wilson's alleged wish list back in 2021 apparently included the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears. Adam Schefter reported that those were the only four teams he told the Seattle Seahawks that he would waive his no-trade clause for.
While he eventually landed with the Broncos, rumors suggest that one of his original choices could be back on the table. The Raiders are rumored to be a possible landing spot.
Do the Raiders need Russell Wilson?
The Las Vegas Raiders could potentially be in the market for a quarterback during the 2024 NFL offseason. They benched Jimmy Garoppolo last season and replaced him with rookie Aidan O'Connell, who posted a decent 5-5 record with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
It's unclear at this point if the rookie locked up the starting job moving forward or if they will go back to Garoppolo, but that decision will likely be up to newly-appointed head coach Antonio Pierce.
He could also choose to go in a different direction with Russell Wilson, who allegedly likes the idea of going to Las Vegas.
If Wilson becomes available, he would give the Raiders a better shot at winning right now than the current options on their roster. With a seemingly limited quarterback market this year, he could be their best shot.