Geno Smith still has Russell Wilson’s back.
Smith, who replaced Wilson in Seattle after the franchise traded him to Denver in March 2022, offered his support for the Broncos quarterback after Denver benched him Wednesday for Jarrett Stidham in the first step toward what is expected to be a messy offseason divorce.
“FREE 3,” Smith tweeted Wednesday night.
Smith and Wilson played together in Seattle during the 2019-21 seasons, with Smith serving as Wilson’s backup.
When the Seahawks decided to move on from Wilson, sending him to Denver for a strong collection of picks and players, Smith beat out Drew Lock for the starting job.
The move has simply not worked out for the Broncos, with the team set to miss the playoffs for the second straight season with Wilson as the starting quarterback.
Wilson produced the worst season of his career last year, and while he has rebounded in 2023, it’s clear that new head coach Sean Payton wants to head in a different direction starting in 2024.
The Broncos reportedly reached out to Wilson’s camp in October telling Wilson he would lose his role as the starting quarterback if he did not amend his contract, which calls for a $37 million injury guarantee in 2025 if he cannot pass his physical in March 2024.
Wilson did not, and the team now has benched the Super Bowl-winning quarterback with two games left in the regular season, and the Broncos likely to miss the playoffs with their 7-8 record.
Perhaps Wilson would still be starting had Denver won last Sunday against the Patriots, but he instead turned in a clunker in a devastating 26-23 home loss.
The 35-year-old quarterback now expects to be let go this offseason by Denver, per The Athletic.
“I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that,” Payton said Wednesday. “I can tell you, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things, but the number one push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively.”
Smith, meanwhile, has enjoyed the best success of his career since replacing Wilson.
He led the Seahawks to the playoffs last year and earned the first Pro Bowl honor of his career, and has the Seahawks in the playoff hunt again this year.
The Seahawks own the seventh seed in the NFC and control their own destiny with remaining games on tap against the Steelers and Cardinals.