In Brandon Marshall’s latest edition of “I Am Athlete” podcast he interviews Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who sounded like a man on a mission who doesn’t care where he plays as long as he wins some more rings during a preview clip of the podcast.
Marshall asked Wilson, who by all accounts is on his way out of Denver, if he even still has that burning passion at age 35.
“I got more fire than ever, honestly,” Wilson, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Broncos in 2022 for $245 million, with $165 million of it guaranteed, said on Marshall’s podcast. “Especially over the past two years and what I’ve gone through, whether it’s in Denver or somewhere else. I hope it’s in Denver. I hope I get to finish there. I committed there. I want to be there. For me it’s about winning. In the next five years, I want to win two. I want to feel the chill of that trophy again.”
Russell Wilson Wants To Win Two Super Bowls In Next Five Years
So, Russ wants to win two more rings. At least he put it out there and people know how he feels. He rarely speaks publicly on those matters. He actually had some fire in his eye when he was speaking.
He also knows that he won’t be playing for Denver next season, but he’s always going to be the diplomat. The guy who plays the worst situations with class. You see the way Travis Kelce got up in Andy Reid’s face in the Super Bowl?
Well, Sean Payton berated Russell Wilson even worse on the sidelines and tried to mess up his bag, and Wilson just ate it and accepted responsibility for whatever was causing Payton to act like a disrespectful 5-year old on the sidelines.
That was really just one of many disrespectful ways that Payton interacted with Wilson during his tenure.
In December of 2023, TSL proclaimed the Russell Wilson era over. Reporter Devon Mason said:
“Reports rang out everywhere that Wilson is actually being benched because of his unwillingness to defer the $37 million injury guarantee trigger in his contract that takes effect in March 2024. Per reports, the team asked Wilson to do so following a win over the Chiefs in late October, and it was something Wilson obviously was not willing to do, therefore he’s now benched with a fully guaranteed salary of $39 million in 2024.
Wilson’s time in Denver is over, and the quarterback can begin thinking about where he’ll play next.”
Russell Wilson Is Still With Broncos But On His Way Out
Nothing has moved on that front. Of course, draft night would be a likely time for Denver to move Russ and his huge contract, but he hasn’t closed the door on a Rocky Mountain return.
“I love the city and everything … but you also want to be in a place that wants you too,” Wilson insisted.
Sounds like Russ is just being Russ. He’s saying the right things, but also politely letting the world know that he totally understands the message he’s been getting from the front office, coaching staff and the fans; it’s probably time to move on.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Denver will be releasing Wilson in the next few weeks and the former Seattle Seahawks legend will sign somewhere for a low contract, perhaps the league minimum, because the Broncos still owe him so much money.
“Everybody I’ve talked to around the league expects the Denver Broncos at some point around the new league year in the next few weeks to rip the Band-Aid off and release Russell Wilson even though they owe him $39 million in guaranteed money,” Fowler said Sunday on “SportsCenter.”
“But they can start new, he can go sign somewhere else. The feeling is he’ll sign for considerably less, maybe even the league minimum, because he’s got all that money in hand guaranteed. And so, he’s going to have options. The feeling I get from talking to teams and scouts is that he’s still an NFL starter, there will be a job somewhere for him.”
The Broncos have more problems to address than quarterback, and getting rid of Russ means freeing up some future money to build the team around another QB or current starter Jarrett Stidham.
Brandon Marshall “I Am Athlete” Podcast Still A Force
Brandon Marshall has been waiting for that one interview to boost him back into the “most watched entertainment and culture podcast” list that he was leading a few years ago when he started really making an impact in the podcast world.
Marshall was on the cutting edge of the ex-athlete podcast explosion with “I Am Athlete” launched in April 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was co-hosted by Marshall, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, and it was buzzing before Crowder and Taylor left to join Ryan Clark’s acclaimed “Pivot” Podcast.
While others such as Shannon Sharpe and Cam Newton, have invaded the space, Marshall continues to be a strong voice in podcasting and as a TV commentator and radio voice when called upon.
