Do you think threatening to bench Russell Wilson if he doesnt renegotiate his contract is ok/legal

I would sit on the bench for half that and to show my commitment. I wouldn't wear a uniform. Become a fan for 37M and move on to the next team. He will get picked up if they release him.

My understanding is that the $37 million becomes guaranteed by mid-March if they do nothing. That is separate from money already owed.

So they want to do something before that.

Regardless of what happens with the $37 million guarantee, cutting him would still force the Broncos to pay him $89 million in money he is already owed. They can do that over two years if they designate him as cut after June 1. The charges would be $35.4 million against the 2024 cap and $53.6 million in 2025.

If I was Russ, I'd do nothing. They will either cut him prior to the March deadline to save the $37 million from becoming guaranteed (and forcing them to eat $89 million over two years), or trade him. Either way he wins.

my understanding is they were offering to horsetrade that we will play you now but you have to punt that injury guarantee down the road. except they will likely be trying to shove him out the door end of this season. so it's restructure your deal to give something away when you have a game left in the uniform, play or npt. i think there are some differences in terms of how it plays out under the cap for them over time. i am sure some players go along with such things but i am also sure they usually aren't one foot out the door.

what sane player being pushed out punts his injury guarantee in exchange for playing time in a sport where one knee injury and you're the next RG3? because if he plays and gets hurt no one wants him in trade sitting in a cast. and you're stuck in denver. and you just gave away that your contract is guaranteed if you're hurt as of that date. so they can IR you then cut you with an injury/worker's comp settlement the day an MD clears you. "momma didn't raise no fool."

i am sure players do stuff for the teams like defer salary or bonuses, restructure deals. i kind of doubt anyone but the most marginal minimum salary player plays games with injury guarantees in a sport where careers are short and you are one ACL or neck injury from done.

i think what denver did is sketchy but wilson also needs to be careful how big a fit he throws as he will want a new job next year. mediocre QB who fell off after leaving seattle. who may be a lockerroom problem. as it is he may be looking at backup roles in this cold blooded league.

The problem is that if they cut him, he is still dead weight in salary cap space. What they should do is trade away the rest of their offense and upgrade their defense. That way he’ll want to be traded.

I would swap him even up for DeShaun Watson. Both players have worn out their welcome in their respective cities. Watson's contract sucks too, but it's only three more years. Wilson's contract is much longer.

Watson would give Denver 2-3 years and then they're out of salary cap hell if they want to move on. Draft a QB this year to sit behind him. If he sucks, they can cut him next year after June 1, and it will still only be $46 million, less than Wilson's cap hit.

Wilson would be a good fit in Cleveland with a strong defense and good receivers. He doesn't have to carry the team.

This is an excellent discussion of the actual reality of the situation:

sportico.com

Broncos Benching Russell Wilson Could Lead to Legal Action

Michael McCann

The Denver Broncos and quarterback Russell Wilson appear headed for a divorce in the offseason, and it’s one that—like some failed marriages—could spark a legal battle. Wilson’s contract with the B…

Open link

It's a good thing you aren't in sports team management.

clearly he couldn't be forced.

They'll cut him at the end of the season owing him a a year's salary 39 million

He is now making a business decision. They will pay him for next season while he can play somewhere else if he wants. If someone is short a qb they will be able to get him for league minimum

Someone might get a deal and the Broncos will pay for it. Its 2025 that he has lost.

Well, I would never have given Watson a $230 million guaranteed contract, nor would I have traded the farm for Wilson. Apparently the guys getting paid the big bucks aren't making such great decisions, either. Anyway, it's fun to speculate about solutions.

Players push to renegotiate contacts and management does it to build cap room. So legal for sure. My read is he came to Denver with a big paycheck and fading skills. Coaching changes and personalities aside, he is getting paid like a top 5 quarterback and he is not. The benching is fair and I would expect some financial relief.

Both parties trying to maximize their wealth with a presumably legal contract they both agreed to. It would be unethical for the Bronco agents to not bench RW if it favors Bronco owners.

Wilson had the numbers, a 66 comp%, 26-8 td/int, 98 passer rating. Compare that to Geno Smith Compare that to Mahomes. The problem wasn't Wilson it was that defense and the fact he had no Metcalf or Lockett. Wilson played great.

I do think he did need to take less but only because he needs more help. can't do it with him making that much.

Great QB as we can see.

Yes. And Wilson signed a contract which clearly did not preclude this outcome, an outcome that is present because the team is not satisfied with him.

interesting you mention watson. during his legal issues houston carried watson even though he was no longer really wanted.

i say this because some are naively pretending there is some scenario either side wants him guaranteed beyond next year. denver is clearly shifting gears and playing the backup. nor do i think he wants to stay and be backup in exchange for a guarantee for a team he doesn't want to play for.

i think it's an insincere game of "but my hands are tied." denver is making up its own poker chip. agree to put off the guarantee and you will start like you should. or we take away the poker chip and blame you. "he refused to cooperate, so we benched him." i think some are forgetting that if he gets hurt this last game, he'd be guaranteed now, and they might be stuck carrying him on IR beyond when the future guarantees vest. which underlines the real idea is neither side wants the guarantees that much, but denver is maybe worried he gets hurt and stays involuntarily, and is also looking for an excuse to start brushing him aside this year rather than next, particularly in a league with reduced preseason and full contact practice time.

i mean, when watson was headed out of houston, amusingly, neither side for the longest time was sincere about what was obviously going to happen. i think in part because being shoved aside before the season over doesn't help the QB maximize their value next stop, and it hurts their value in trade.

to me it's like cynical parents whose kid wants a dog but don't want to do it, but won't say as much. instead, johnny, we will get you a dog if you are responsible, but we are not sure you are ready. so you have to do your homework and clean your room and do your chores every day for a month. the forgetful kid misses a few nights. you declare him unready and tell him he's not ready for the dog you didn't ever want to get.

maybe you get the dog when he's 16 or maybe you never do and he's still discussing you in therapy age 50.

It is neither legal, nor ethical.

This is the whole point about a guaranteed contract. If you get benched or injured, or released, you still get paid the entire amount that is guaranteed. The NBA and MLB are all on fully guaranteed contracts even reserves, only NFL with 50man rosters still even has non guaranteed contracts.

When I started out in business I had 2 weeks notice. Now I have a 3 yr rolling contract. I won't give that up since it gives me security and a great negotiating position if another company would want to lure me.

The Watson contract is fully guaranteed over 5 yrs, the Wilson contract was only guaranteed for first 3.

It's easy to say that a gm should not pay $40-$50 million per year, or guarantee anything, but you can't even sign a middling starting QB now without that price and at least 2 guaranteed years. Watch what Cousins, Mayfield and perhaps Wilson get for '24.

Some irony here is if they just benched Wilson to look at younger QBs, the nflpa would have no issue, as that is a Coach's decision. Only the fact they told Wilson it was about the contract makes it an issue.

Wilson and nflpa will argue that once a contract is signed, team should be bound to put best product on the field. Wilson was best product and team was still in playoff race. Nflpa argument not so much about Wilson, it's for clarification on future athletes.

There's also a lot of misunderstanding here about Wilson's contract. He's now finishing year 2 of what is effectively a 5yr deal. He has completed yrs 1 and 2, yr3 is already fully guaranteed at $39 million for 2024. It's the 2025 amount of $37 million in dispute. That becomes guaranteed in March 2024. If they release him now, they are already on the hook for the $39 million, if they release him after March, then it's $39 + another $37 million for 2025.

Wilson cash flow:

2022 yr 1 $57 million

2023 yr 2 $28 million

2024 yr 3 $39 million

2025 yr 4 $37 million

2026 yr 5 $ 40 million.

If they can trade him, the future team can pick up this existing contract. If they release him Broncos must pay guarantees. They can probably trade him, as Wilson at just under $40 million is pretty good market value. We will see.