Why the Atlanta Falcons can land Russell Wilson for league minimum

The Atlanta Falcons could find themselves in a dream situation. They are looking for a new quarterback and they could land a Super Bowl-winning and likely future Hall of Famer for essentially nothing (relatively).

Russell Wilson's contract with the Denver Broncos has offset language, meaning he gets paid the same amount no matter where he goes after being released. This allows the Falcons to land him for league minimum.

Russell Wilson's contract gives the Atlanta Falcons a no-brain decision at QB

You know the story by now; the Atlanta Falcons are looking to find a franchise quarterback while the Denver Broncos will likely release their franchise QB and look for one that fits Sean Payton's scheme better.

Not often does a quarterback of Russell Wilson's magnitude hit the open market and the Atlanta Falcons need to take advantage. But at what cost?

Wilson is in a unique situation in that no matter what happens, he will be paid $39 million due to what is known as "offset language."

Whatever Wilson signs for in 2024 is what the Broncos save. Let's say he signs for $5 million, Wilson will still be paid $39 million—$34 million from the Broncos and $5 million from his new team.

So, put yourself in Wilson's position. You are looking for a new team, you are getting paid the same amount no matter what, and you are still bitter with the Broncos, what do you do?

You hurt the Broncos as much as you can and save your new team as much money as possible. Therefore, you sign for league minimum ($1.2 million as a veteran).

If you are the Falcons, how can you not say yes to paying a future Hall of Fame quarterback league minimum?

In no way am I guaranteeing that Wilson will sign for the minimum. In the end, it is his choice but when you look at it logically, signing a contract for the least amount of money is in the best interest of him and his new team.