Dick Monfort oughta send the Broncos a thank-you card. Heck, stuff another $51-million check inside the envelope, while you’re at it.
Because Greg Penner and George Paton somehow just got the Rockies, the dumbest franchise in town, off the hook.
Russ is cooked.
The worst trade in Colorado sports history is official now. And it wears orange and blue.
After 12 bathrooms and 11 wins, the Broncos announced Monday what everybody knew was coming since Sean Payton flipped his visor in Detroit.
They’re cutting quarterback Russell Wilson at the start of the 2024 league year next week, roughly 24 months after acquiring him from Seattle for (deep breath): a 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and quarterback Drew Lock.
Paton bet the farm.
Pete Carroll laughed all the way to the bank.
Russ is cooked.
Monfort should be doing backflips. The Rockies CEO seemingly had the title of “worst trade” locked up in perpetuity in 2021 when he handed third baseman Nolan Arenado, the Mike Schmidt of his generation, along with $51 million, to the stinking Cardinals for Larry, Moe, Curly, Shemp and Joe Besser.
Nolan’s averaged 30 homers and 100 RBIs in the three seasons since. The Rox have averaged 95 losses.
Heck of a bar, that. Yet the Broncos cleared it, even somehow managing to hit their head on the descent.
Paton and Penner sold you hope. They (allegedly) knew what they were doing. The Rockies had no clue. Still don’t.
Arenado cost Monfort $51 million and a generation of shame. Wilson’s divorce is going to cost the Broncos $85 million in dead cap money, including $39 million in salary for next seaso. No. 3 landed a five-year, $242.5-million extension from Penner and Paton, $161 million of it guaranteed … and was out the door before the thing even kicked in.
Russ is cooked.
Paton should’ve known that, of course. He should’ve known that Big Russ was allergic to throws between the hash marks. He should’ve known that No. 3 was a lost cause in the red zone if Plan A — which became Courtland Sutton in 2023 — happened to be covered. He should’ve known that a 5-foot-11 quarterback who relied on his athleticism had put on weight and lost a step.
Or three.
He should’ve known that bringing in Russ meant bringing a personal coaching team, a personal social media team, a personal security team, a personal cook, a personal masseuse, personal everything. He should’ve known that Wilson, at 33, stopped being worth the baggage about the time that the Cards fleeced Monfort.
Russ is cooked.
Oh, the Broncos had their reasons. Even noble ones. No one would say it out loud, but Mission: Franchise Quarterback was a “go” the minute Lock’s development stalled, and Russ was always Plan B. The backup big swing. There’s a thread in the loom of the multiverse in which the Broncos really do consummate that trade for Aaron Rodgers two winters ago in order to pair him with his best bud, Nathaniel Hackett — which is the only way you can justify the hiring of the latter, in hindsight.
In this universe, our reality, Hackett and Russ were a disaster, a coach in over his skis and a QB1 past his prime.
Payton and Russ were better, but the egos became hilariously incompatible. Last August, they were Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi. By December, they were Bart and Homer Simpson.
Russ is cooked.
Wilson was supposed to prove the historians wrong, hand the ball to Herschel Walker on the zone read and get the heck out of the way. Only he botched the exchange, sticking a lost franchise even further behind the chains. The Broncos are staring at third down-and-$85-million-to-go, and not even Payton has a play for that.
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