The Disastrous Downward Spiral of the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos’ blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson promised Super Bowl aspirations, but instead delivered a cautionary tale of organizational dysfunction

It is always difficult for a franchise to know when to part ways with a franchise player. In March of 2022, after 10 mostly successful seasons, the Seattle Seahawks decided it was time to move on from franchise quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson helped the Seahawks win their only Super Bowl title, but it seemed that it was time to move on and traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The deal included three players (Noah Fant, Drew Lock, and Shelby Harris) and five draft picks. Those draft picks have produced offensive lineman Charles Cross, defensive lineman Boye Mafe, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon; all players that are starters for the Seahawks this season.

On the Broncos side, they got Russell Wilson in hopes that he would be the answer at the quarterback position to get the Broncos back into Super Bowl contention. Recently, this experiment came to an end as the Broncos benched Wilson with an intent to move on from him in the offseason. It ends a tumultuous couple of years that saw the firing of a coach after one season, locker room dysfunction, and the perceived erosion of a star player. But this year, Wilson played better with a respectable 7–8 record and stats that…