ENGLEWOOD, Colo. –
The Denver Broncos and full-back Russell Wilson have agreed on a five-year, $245 million extension including $165 million in bail, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to the Associated Press. on Thursday morning.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the extension, first reported by ESPN, has not been confirmed by the team or Wilson’s representatives.
When information about the agreement was spread, The Broncos tweeted a short about Wilson with the team’s signature tagline “Let’s Ride.”
The extension pays Wilson an average salary of $49 million a year and keeps him at Denver through the end of the 2028 season.
It’s just shy of the $50 million Aaron Rodgers average over four years, the $200 million Packers QB signed to stay in Green Bay this year.
Wilson’s $165 million bail is more than Rodgers ($153 million) and Kyler Murray of Arizona, who have a new five-year, $230.5 million deal that includes $160 million in insurance receive. But be apprehensive about Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed five-year contract with Cleveland.
Wilson had two years and $51 million left on his contract when the Broncos bought him from Seattle in March with a three-player package and five draft picks.
Wilson is expected to make $24 million this season and $27 million next year before the renewal goes into effect.
New co-owner and CEO Greg Penner, whose ownership team paid a record $4.65 billion for the team this summer, said last month that general manager George Paton’s deal for Wilson in the spring makes the Broncos an even more attractive property.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to have gone through this process to see that the institution made the transaction for Russell,” said Penner. “It’s important to have a great midfielder in this league and being in this organization with Russell’s presence is a huge boon for us.
“On our first handyman trip here in May, one of the first people we ran into the hallway when Rob (Walton), Carrie (Walton Penner) and I were here was Russell,” Penner said. more. “Right away, we got a sense of how positive he is as a leader. He’s such a dynamic individual. I can’t wait to see him on the pitch.”
Wilson will make his Denver debut on September 12 when the Broncos inaugurate the season in Seattle, where Wilson has played for a decade, leading the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances and a championship.
