“Hate to See This Happen”: Kelce Brothers Join Aaron Rodgers to Support Benched Russell Wilson

The Broncos secured their first victory without the support of Russell Wilson. Instead of focusing solely on the win, discussions have shifted to the quarterback’s benching, a decision that has garnered attention due to his $243 million contract. Since then, several fellow NFL stars have spoken out about the incident, expressing sympathy for Wilson.

Recently, Rodgers shared the grief with Wilson, saying he felt for him. Now, probably the NFL’s most outspoken duo, Travis and Jason Kelce have voiced their displeasure over the benching in their weekly podcast. Talking on the New Heights Podcast, the Chiefs TE even mentioned how Russ Wilson told the media that, “The Broncos first threatened to bench him back in October if he didn’t remove the injury guarantees from his contract”,  further suggesting that money might have been a deciding factor in the Broncos’ decision because according to Sports Illustrated, Wilson was benched due to a $37 million in injury protection.

Travis Kelce too, doubled down on the fact that the QB wasn’t getting the deserved treatment from the franchise and said “I think there’s sh*t going on. And obviously it’s he said, she said from a lot. And I think everybody’s just trying to stay away from the topic and saying generic things like that take the blame off of them. Or make it not look like it’s not all about the money, which we all know.”

The TE also mentioned how the Broncos head coach Sean Payton said the benching decision was football-related related had nothing to do with the contract or money, “NFL is always, all about the f*****g money!” According to ESPN, Wilson is “guaranteed $39 million in 2024 whether he is on the team or not, as well as another $37 million (his 2025 salary) guaranteed if he could not pass a physical on the fifth day of the new league year in March.”

Eagles center Jason Kelce also shared his honest feelings about the Broncos benching their star quarterback. Jason said, “I mean, you hate to see this happen to a player with the pedigree that Russ has, and what he’s meant to the NFL. You know this isn’t what anybody likes to see especially as a player,” the center said he felt more for Wilson being a player himself.

Wilson has showcased an impressive performance this season, surpassing his accomplishments from the previous year and contributing significantly to the Broncos.

Watch This Story: NFL Rumors: Russell Wilson Could Sign a Fresh Contract With New England Patriots Amid Bill Belichick Firing Reports

Despite his stellar performance, the decision to bench Wilson left many bewildered and questioning its fairness. Recently, Aaron Rodgers too, shared his feelings on Wilson.

Aaron Rodgers calls the decision to bench Russell Wilson ‘scandalous’

Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Rodgers said the decision to bench Wilson on the brink of playoff was scandalous. And his heart was with the QB in that regard. “My heart actually goes out to Russ for dealing with this. I think, say whatever you want about him, like… I think he’s handled this pretty well,” the Super Bowl XLV winner said, sharing his appreciation for the Super Bowl XLVIII winner.

Rodgers also lauded Wilson’s outspokenness on the matter, “I definitely applaud him for speaking on it because it’s a tough situation and you know he basically said what he said… Said what went down, which is pretty scandalous, that they would do that.” Rodgers further stated that the decision was ridiculous and he supported Wilson’s comments on the injury guarantee issue.

Wilson might not be a happy person, however, coming to the in-field side of things, the Broncos are a happy team at the moment. Backup QB Jarrett Stidham has adapted to the team fairly well, and his game-winning 224 yards and 1 TD performance have again lightened up the playoff chances.

Is this the end of Russell Wilson’s highly-anticipated Broncos’ career if the team goes on a successful run with Stidham?

Read More: “Give Sean Payton Credit”: Stephen A. Smith Surprisingly Backs Tough Head Coach as Broncos Bench Russell Wilson