Russell Wilson’s stint with the Denver Broncos was relatively short-lived. The quarterback, released ahead of the completion of his five-year contract, faced this outcome after being benched for two games during the final days of the 2023 season. So, who is to be blamed for Wilson’s early departure?

The criticism is divided between pointing fingers at the hefty five-year, $245 million contract and Russell’s lackluster performance, resulting in the franchise securing only 8 wins in 2023 and 5 in 2022. Additionally, some attribute the struggles to the overall situation or criticize the seemingly poor coordination between coach Sean Payton and Wilson. But there is one NFL analyst who thinks neither of the two are responsible for Russell Wilson’s exit.

Who is the real culprit per Cowherd?

In a recent episode of The Colin Cowherd Podcast, $25 million sports radio host, Cowherd, talked about the ongoing situation in Denver. He started off saying, “Sean Payton needs to win games and Russell Wilson wants to find a landing spot. Those guys are not in the blame game, they’re in the Turn the Page game and I don’t blame them.” Cowherd continued, “If you want to point fingers, you could point to the Broncos GM George Paton. He gave up two first two second round picks. I think he gave up three players and maybe a fifth round pick. He also hired Nathaniel Hackett, and that was a complete disaster.”

Cowherd continued, “Many believe he hired Nathaniel Hackett because he tried to get Aaron Rodgers and when he couldn’t, Russell and Nat Hackett’s offense just didn’t work, so he has created $85 million of dead cap.” Despite respecting Paton’s overall work, Cowherd emphasized that too many major missteps, particularly with Hackett and Wilson, can have a significant impact on a coach and quarterback-driven league.

Wilson, after signing for $245 million with about $161 million in guarantees from Denver, is guaranteed to make $39 million in 2024. With this, the franchise will now take an $85 million hit in dead money over the next two seasons.

Read more: Russell Wilson’s $39M Broncos Exit Set to Hurt Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields’ NFL Future

Now that Wilson and the Broncos both have agreed to this agreement, it has brought an end to a tumultuous chapter in NFL history. But what’s next for the 35-year-old QB?

When can a team contact Russell Wilson?

Russell Wilson issued a statement on social media, expressing gratitude to the Broncos and expressing excitement about the future after being released by them. The specific plans for what comes next are uncertain. Wilson will become a free agent after March 13. The Broncos opted for this timing to spread out the salary cap hits over the next two years, and with the significant $85 million dead cap space, the Broncos marked the largest dead cap hit in NFL history.

Despite the tumultuous season, Wilson is expected to attract interests from other teams. Atlanta has an uncertain quarterback and has a new coach in Raheem Morris, similar to the Patriots’ new coach Jerod Mayo. So, these two teams could be a spot for Wilson. However, besides these, there is a speciation about the Raiders as a potential fit. Additionally, the Steelers are also considered a viable option, as they could benefit from Wilson’s commitment, maturity, experience, and accuracy on the offensive side.

So, let’s see who hires Wilson this time?