The Denver Broncos entered the 2003 season with high expectations, but' coach Sean Payton and QB Russell Wilson were unable to co-exist. The relationship seemed rocky from the start, and eventually Payton benched the veteran in favor of QB Jarrett Stidham, and that was the last straw.
Wilson was released in early March, and the team took a $85 million dead-money hit just to get rid of him. He eventually signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a 1-year prove-it deal.
The Broncos brought in QB Zach Wilson from the New York Jets, and they went out and drafted QB Bo Nix out of the University of Oregon, as Denver looks to start anew.
Payton was expected to come in and change the culture with the Broncos, but it was more of the same disappointment in 2023, with the team going just 8-9. The thing which might be remembered most is when the Miami Dolphins hung 70 points on Payton’s defense in Week 3 in South Florida. That’s not what you want to be remembered for. We’ll see if 2024 brings any improvement, but if not, Payton’s seat could be heating up.