3 Worst Offseason Moves From the Chiefs' AFC West Rivals

2. Broncos Eat $85 Million in Dead Cap by Cutting Russell Wilson

Remember when the Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson two years ago? The Broncos sent five draft picks — including two first-rounders — and three players to the Seattle Seahawks in hopes that the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback would lead them to their first Super Bowl in nearly a decade.

Hell, Denver felt so confident about Wilson that it didn't hesitate to ink him to a monster five-year, $245 million extension before he even took a snap for the franchise. Alarm bells began to ring when the veteran signal-caller struggled throughout the majority of the 2022 campaign.

Although he bounced back (to a degree) in 2023, it wasn't good enough to keep him in the Mile High City. The Broncos benched Wilson for Jarrett Stidham in the final two games of the regular season before releasing the former Super Bowl-winning QB ahead of free agency. Clearly, not even Sean Payton's presence could save his job.

The fact that Wilson didn't even play a snap on his five-year extension shows just how much of a blunder was in the first place. Much to the Broncos' dismay, releasing him also resulted in their taking on $85 million in dead cap space — the biggest hit in NFL history. While they could've absorbed it all at once, they opted to take on $53 million next season and the remaining $32 million in 2025.

What's even worse is that Denver doesn't exactly have a plan for its future under center. Stidham and Ben DiNucci are the only QBs on the roster at the moment, only boasting five career starts between the two of them.

The Broncos have lost 17 of their last 20 matchups with the Chiefs and I don't see that trend changing any time soon now that Wilson's dead cap hit will strap the franchise for the next two years.