The earth-shattering news of Russell Wilson‘s 5-year, $242.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos back in 2022 rocked the NFL landscape. But for Shelby Harris, that fateful moment was initially an exciting one. It didn’t take too long for it to turn into his most dreaded experience, “My heart sank.”
The defensive tackle had five gritty seasons with the Broncos, only to find himself caught up in the most seismic deal. Harris found out about the deal after a routine workout session at the Broncos facility, when he glanced up at the TV screen and saw the headline stating that the Broncos were trading for Russell Wilson.
The Broncos’ players met the positive news of the quarterback acquisition with hoots and cheers initially. However, soon this initial wave of euphoria gave way to disbelief when Harris’ phone rang. GM George Paton, on the other end, dropped the bomb that Harris was part of the trade package.
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“I’m like George Paton called me. I’m like bro, it’s no way… I’m thinking like I’m getting traded to the Purgatory like we’re supposed we’re about to be trash in Seattle,” Harris admitted candidly. “My heart sank,” he stated. The vivid scene hammered home the immense sacrifices players make in the NFL.
“Because man, the first thing I thought about was my family, you know. It’s very rare for someone to be able to play for five years in a city, you know what I mean. Once you get over a couple of years, alright, I might be here for a while. I heard George saying, ‘Can you come upstairs?’ Damn alright, no problem.
“I just remember this one feeling like everyone staring at me,” Harris revealed on the Dumb Jocks podcast recently. “Man, like when I say I cried like a baby, like because I was like man, is this going to like mess up everything with my family? Like we have it so good here.”
“I’m thinking like I’m getting traded to the Purgatory like we’re supposed we’re about to be trash in Seattle,” Harris said. “My heart sank.”
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The prospect of having to uproot his family from the only home they’d known in Denver move to the largest metropolis of the Pacific Northwest left him utterly gutted. Harris had dreams of lifting the Lombardi, especially with the team he loved. Instead, he found himself shipping out to pure “purgatory” in Seattle.
Russell Wilson’s short-lived Broncos stint vs Harris’s journey from Denver to Cleveland
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While initial news of the trade stung, Harris’s grit and resilience powered him through the aftermath, proving his worth on the gridiron. Cap casualty Shelby was an important contributor to the defensive line rotation, only to be later released by them on March 14 last year. During his time with the Seahawks, the DT recorded a total of 44 tackles, 2.0 sacks, four passes defensed, and five tackles for loss.
Ironically, Russell Wilson’s tenure in Denver was short-lived, as the Broncos quickly soured on the deal. After a dismal 2022 campaign, Denver cut and shipped the former Super Bowl winner to the Pittsburgh Steelers in another trade just a year after acquiring him.
When the opportunity came knocking to join the rejuvenated Cleveland Browns, Harris pounced on it, inking a 1-year, $9 million pact with the rising franchise in August last year. His signing was a chance to be part of something special, a defensive line stacked with disruptive talents like Dalvin Tomlinson and Maurice Hurst.
In his debut season with the Browns, the 10-year veteran Harris wasted no time making his presence evident. He racked up 28 total tackles, 6 bone-crunching tackles for loss, 5 batted passes, 1.5 quarterback-mauling sacks, and one forced fumble. His ways in the trenches were a driving force behind Cleveland’s defensive resurgence, proving that sometimes the most unexpected detours can lead to golden opportunities. It came as a no surprise when the Browns wanted to bring him back for a second season.
Shelby counted all his blessings, saying, “It means a lot because coming here late last year… trying to fill in late, trying to make relationships at the end of the camp with everybody… there was no place else I wanted to be. Cleveland, from the beginning, has always felt like home. They’ve treated me and my family very well and it’s the place that we really wanted to be.”
As Harris locks in on the 2024 campaign, his winding journey stands as a testament to the sheer willpower that defines the modern NFL warrior.
