ON A CRISP Dec. 27 morning at the Broncos' suburban Denver complex, players filed into what they thought was a standard Wednesday team meeting.
Instead, coach Sean Payton had a stunning announcement for the group: Russell Wilson was no longer the starting quarterback. «It was a surprise to everybody in the locker room.
He just told us out of nowhere,» wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said. This wasn't a depth chart shuffle 10 plays into a game. This was a foundational decision that will carry enormous financial weight, have draft implications and may upend the Broncos' short-term ability to compete.
The construction of Wilson's contract, a contract that team owner/CEO Greg Penner once heralded in the same room in which Payton announced Wilson's benching, will test every part of the Broncos' ability to move forward.