Broncos players reveal how they felt about benching of Russell Wilson

"Pissed for Russ. Just pissed for Russ, a lot of us," one player said of the decision, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold.

Another player added the timing was odd as Denver (8-9) still had a chance to make the playoffs, and Wilson produced solid numbers. In 15 games, he completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,070 yards, 26 TDs, eight interceptions and an above-average 98 passer rating.

"We just won five in a row," the player said, via Legwold. "We're all going to support [backup] Jarrett Stidham, but Russ was giving everything he had."

Denver went 1-1 in two games with Stidham and averaged 15 points per game. While Payton claimed benching Wilson would provide an offensive spark, he clearly wasn't the problem, and the HC created a bigger mess.

The Broncos will probably release Wilson this offseason, which will be costly. The move will result in $85M in dead money, the largest for a player since the salary cap started in 1994. Even if Denver splits the charges over the next two seasons, it hinders a rebuild.

"Look, they're in a little bit of a box," a general manager told Legwold. "You try to avoid dead money, kicking that can, because dead money is really players you can't have because of players you let go and are still paying for — the bigger the number, the more players you can't have."  

Acquiring more talent in free agency doesn't seem viable, so Denver must nail the draft and find a new franchise QB. Bleacher Report's mock draft has the Broncos taking Washington's Michael Penix Jr. — a 2023 Heisman finalist — with the 12th overall pick.

If this process fails, the downward spiral will continue, raising doubts about Payton's ability to revamp the downtrodden organization.