Russell Wilson has likely thrown his last pass in a Denver Broncos uniform, but don't count out the veteran quarterback from staying in the AFC, or even the AFC West.
That's the prediction of one current NFL executive, speaking to ESPN, who believes Wilson's next stop might wind up being with one of the Broncos' biggest rivals.
"[The Raiders] need a vet, and they are one of Wilson's original teams he wanted to go to," an executive told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "He'd stay in the [AFC West], West Coast, and [Wilson's wife] Ciara can do a [Las Vegas] residency [as a live performer]."
Wilson was benched by head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos for the regular season finale, after the 35-year-old declined to rework his contract to avoid an injury bonus potentially triggering this offseason. Even if the Broncos move on from Wilson this offseason, his contract remains an albatross, calling for $165 million in total guaranteed money.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
If Wilson plays elsewhere in 2024, it will most likely be because the Broncos released him. Few teams have both the cap space and the need at quarterback to absorb a five-year contract worth $242.5 million, signed just last year.
Landing with the Raiders would give Wilson the opportunity to face Payton twice per season, which could give the former Super Bowl winner added motivation.
Las Vegas will likely be in the market for a quarterback; and if Denver ultimately moves on from Wilson, he would make a lot of sense for the Raiders.
This past season, Wilson completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. Despite Wilson seeming to regress over the past two seasons, it isn't difficult to envision new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce viewing the veteran as an upgrade over Aidan O'Connell or Jimmy Garoppolo.
