The Russell Wilson Broncos era is seemingly coming to an end.

A bombshell report recently emerged that Denver are benching Wilson for the final two games of the season in favour of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Wilson’s time in Denver looks to be coming to an endCredit: Getty

The shocking news is part of a move by the Broncos to save money after Wilson refused to waive the injury guarantees in his contract.

Per reports, the perennial Pro Bowler is expected to be cut by the franchise in March, ending the two-year failed experiment.

It’s been a frustrating season for Wilson and the 7-8 Broncos, but on a personal level Russ clearly feels like he’s performed to the level expected of him.

In the wake of his benching, the QB liked a social media post which was defending him while comparing his stats to Patrick Mahomes’.

The post surprisingly showed that the Broncos quarterback is enjoying a better year statistically than the Chiefs star and reigning Super Bowl MVP.

The post, which was captioned, “Russell Wilson is now getting BENCHED despite outplaying some of the league’s biggest stars,” showed that both Wilson and Mahomes have 26 passing touchdowns this season.

However, the Denver signal caller has committed fewer interceptions – throwing eight compared to Mahomes’ 14 picks.

The talented field generals also have the same yards per attempt – 6.9 – but Wilson has three scores on the ground whereas Mahomes has zero.

Wilson liked a post on X favourably comparing his stats to Mahomes’Credit: X@NFLEnthusiast1

Wilson also got the better of Mahomes in NFL Week 8 when the Broncos beat Kansas City 24-9 for their first win over their AFC West rivals since 2015.

The 35-year-old has completed 66% of his passes for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 15 starts this season.

Wilson also liked a post from former Ravens QB turned ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, who said: “Mad respect for how you have handled this entire situation @DangeRussWilson.

“When you were disrespected, you still showed respect. When you were threatened, you led your team to wins. When you were torn down, you kept building up your guys and never wavered. God’s got your back.”

Wilson’s tenure with the Broncos has been one of unmitigated failure.

The former Seahawks star arrived to Denver in 2022 with huge expectations he’d be able to take them back to the promised land.

He signed a five-year, $242.6 million contract but, after a tough debut year, things have failed to get any better in 2023.

Poor results and a massive contract mean the Broncos are willing to cut their losses on Wilson.

His contract is only guaranteed until 2024 but if he’s on the roster and clears medical tests, his $37 million salary for the 2025 season becomes guaranteed.

By benching him now, and ensuring he doesn’t get any injuries, the Broncos are effectively willing to take an unprecedented hit of $85 million in dead salary cap space if they cut him.

After a poor start to the season where they went 1-5, the Broncos looked like they’d turned a corner with a five-game winning streak.

However, they have lost three of their last four games including a damning 23-26 defeat to the lowly New England Patriots which all but ended their chances of reaching the postseason.

The Broncos are currently the 12th seed in the AFC with around a 6% chance of making the playoffs. A win against the Patriots on Christmas Day would have given them a 45% chance of making the playoffs.

They face the Chargers on Sunday where QB Jarrett Stidham will be orchestrating the offense.

Should Denver lose they’ll officially be eliminated from playoff contention.