People Ripping Russell Wilson Trade As Worst Ever Forget It Wasn't Even Worst Trade Of 2022

The sting hasn't dissipated in Denver following the Broncos' announcement earlier this week that Russell Wilson's time with the team will come to an end in days, signaling the final chapter in what is being panned by the pundit class as the worst roster move of all time.

Mad Dog radio on Wednesday called this the worst trade of all time. The Athletic included it among its list of worst trades. CBS Sports called it, "the worst trade of all time, and it's not even close."

Even OutKick founder Clay Travis compared it with the infamous Herschel Walker deal between the Cowboys and Vikings in 1989.

But here's a message for the Broncos and their fans today that should be understood as both encouragement and a warning:

It could've been much worse. And the initial Wilson move isn't quite the villainy of a feeble mind it's being portrayed in hindsight. 

Let's understand that the Broncos are now smarting because Wilson is leaving – possibly headed to start for some other team in 2024 – only two years after coming from the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson's 2022 arrival was a high point of optimism, in part because it brought a likely future Hall of Fame quarterback to a solid roster.

And, yes, it was Fort Knox vault costly.

The Broncos, you'll recall, gave up five draft picks – a 2022 first-rounder, a 2023 first-rounder, a 2022 second-rounder, a 2023 second-rounder and a 2022 fifth-rounder – plus three players in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-round pick. Then, to make Wilson happy and matters worse, Denver signed him to a five-year contract worth $245 million that included $124 million fully guaranteed.

So Wilson's forced departure now looks terrible. Esteemed Denver columnist Woody Paige on Tuesday called the trade "a morass of an