Sean Payton now is saying there is still a chance Russell Wilson could return to the Broncos.
Wilson was benched by the Broncos’ head coach for the team’s final two games this season as it was widely speculated that the quarterback’s time with Denver was coming to an end.
Nevertheless, Payton spoke to reporters Tuesday, saying that he met with Wilson for a half-hour on Monday and did not slam the door on a possible return.
“I told him, ‘Look, I don’t think it’s going to be a long, drawn-out process,’ but it hasn’t been decided relative to what our plans are,” Payton said, as covered by ESPN. “As soon as we know something certainly, he would be the first to know.”
Payton, 60, was asked about if this meant there could be a path for Wilson to return for a third season with the Broncos.
“Yeah, listen, otherwise it would have been like ‘hey, goodbye,'” Payton answered. “We’ll look at all the scenarios and try to do what’s best for the Broncos. But communication will be important, and, yeah, that final decision hasn’t been made.”
It would be surprising if the Broncos brought Wilson back unless he reworked his contract, and it remains to be seen whether the quarterback would agree to that rather than test the open market.
Perhaps the primary reason Wilson, 35, was benched is that he is owed $37 million for 2025, which would become fully guaranteed if he is still on the roster this March, and would have been guaranteed had Wilson suffered a serious injury in the team’s final two games.
After the benching, Wilson outwardly expressed interest in a Broncos return.
“I came here to play here, to win. I knew it was going to be a process. I signed a seven-year deal for us to go and play hard. That’s my goal every time I step in between the white lines, is give everything I have,” Wilson said in December.
“I want to be here, I want to play here, I want to be able to win here, I want to win championships here. I want to give my all every week, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the score is.
“I want to be the best teammate and leader I can be in the midst of it all. That’s why I was out here at practice every day. I told Jarrett [Stidham], I’ll help him and do whatever it takes to keep the guys going and try to lead the right way. That’s all I know.”
The Broncos went 8-9 in Payton’s first year as head coach this past season.