Russell Wilson is with a new team in a new city but remains on the contract inked with the Seattle Seahawks. The Denver Broncos quarterback isn’t worried about an extension at this point.
Wilson is signed through the 2023 season, but given what the Broncos gave up to acquire the Super Bowl-winning quarterback, there is logic behind Denver locking down the QB long-term sooner rather than later.
Asked Wednesday about how much thought he’s given to a contract, with Kyler Murray inking a big long-term extension and Lamar Jackson in line for a new deal, Wilson said he’s not concerned.
“I don’t really worry about those guys and what they’re doing,” Wilson. “Awesome for them. Obviously Kyler, great for him. Obviously, Lamar and his situation. But it has nothing, really, to do with me. I’m excited to be here. I know that. I know I want to be here for a long, long time, hopefully, the rest of my career. And just, it’s been a blessing just to be here with these guys. To be here with (general manager) George Paton, he’s been amazing to me. Coach (Nathaniel) Hackett, first class, unbelievable mind, unbelievable way how he leads this football team and the rest of the coaching staff, the players, the organization. This is a tremendous honor. Every day I look at it as treating every day as a new day and treating every day as just going into it. That’s my focus. My sole focus is winning a Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos.”
Broncos general manager George Paton noted earlier in the week that the team wants to get a long-term deal done with Wilson but isn’t pressing the situation.
“We all want Russell here a long time,” Paton said, via the Associated Press. “Out of respect for his team and our team, we’re going to keep it in-house any discussions we may or may not have … at the right time, we’ll get a deal done.”
Wilson inked a four-year extension with the Seahawks in 2019, which paid him an annual figure of $35 million. However, that number has been leapfrogged, with the $40 million-plus now as the going rate for franchise QBs — eight signal-callers currently average $40 million or more per year. Murray’s recent extension put the Cardinals QB at $46.1 million (second in per-year average behind Aaron Rodgers — $50.27 million).
At this stage, Wilson is worried only about learning his new playbook and teammates, with sights set on another Lombardi.
“We’ve got a championship-caliber football team,” he said. “Now it’s time to just show up and prove it, go out and do it.”