“Sean Payton has behaved as a thug”: Ryan Clark unleashes on Broncos HC for undermining Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson is one of the biggest draws in the NFL but his tenure at the Denver Broncos has been nothing but turbulent. The 35-year-old veteran will finish the season on the bench, with head coach Sean Payton deciding to bench him in favor of Jarrett Stidham.

It signaled the end of an era, the Wilson-Broncos era, just two seasons after the quarterback signed a whopping $242 million extension.

Denver is in danger of missing the playoffs and needs results to go their way in the final two weeks of the NFL 2023-24 campaign to make it to the postseason. Head coach Sean Payton thus made a rather bold decision to bench their star quarterback at a make-or-break time.

While Wilson has struggled to impress, the decision did not particularly well with a section of the fanbase. Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark has also lashed out at Sean Payton, labeling him as a 'thug' for benching the 35-year-old.

Speaking on "Get Up," Clark said that the Broncos head coach has often been undercutting Wilson since he took up the job:

"Sean Payton has behaved as a thug since he became the coach of the Denver Broncos. Immediately when he gets in the building, he starts to undercut Russell Wilson personally and professionally from his first press conference on."

Russell Wilson's contract implications for 2024

Russell Wilson's bumper contract leaves the Broncos in a pickle. The quarterback is under contract through 2028 and is far from his best. As per Adam Schefter, Wilson is already slated to receive a guaranteed salary of $39 million for the year 2024.

However, the Broncos stand to lose an extra $37 million if Wilson fails to pass a physical in early March. Therefore, ensuring Wilson's health becomes crucial for the team to retain that additional financial flexibility. It is important to note that the Denver franchise is already $21 million over next season’s salary cap (Spotrac).

As per The Athletic, if the Broncos decide to part ways with Wilson, they'll face a significant financial setback, bearing an $85 million dead cap hit. Opting for a post-June 1 cut would allow them to distribute this amount over two seasons, resulting in a $35.4 million cap hit in 2024 and a $49.6 million hit in 2025.

For context, the record dead money hit for one player is $40.5 million by the Atlanta Falcons when they traded Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. The $85 million hit would surpass twice that amount.

Where should Russell Wilson go next year?

The Athletic reports that Wilson is expecting to be cut by the franchise come March after a difficult two years in Denver. The 35-year-old even addressed the same in a cryptic post on X, saying he was "looking forward to what's next."

Russell Wilson should have quite a few suitors if he hits the free-agent market in March 2024. The New England Patriots could be one of the teams in the running, having struggled since Tom Brady's departure in 2020. While Bill Belichick's side has gone young in the last few seasons, a 35-year-old could very well be a stable option worth trying.

The New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders are all on the lookout for a stable quarterback. The Giants while have Daniel Jones on their books, he is out with a torn ACL and Wilson could very well shore up the side.

Russell Wilson will be one of the offseason's major storylines and it will be interesting to see what Denver decides to do with him.