The Denver Broncos have truly turned this franchise around in the Sean Payton era. When Payton took over this team following the 2022 NFL Season, the Broncos were among the most dysfunctional in the NFL.
Some had even wondered if Payton would be able to get this team on the right track. The 2023 campaign was a smalll step in the right direction, but things really got going in 2024 and 2025, when the team brought in Bo Nix as the starting quarterback and also saw some of their younger players blossom.
Suddenly, the Broncos are truly on the cusp of a Super Bowl title in 2026 given how elite everything is with this team. Well, it wasn't always like this, as the massive, league-altering Myles Garrett trade just reminded us all of the Broncos all-time teade blunder.
Denver Broncos Russell Wilson trade seen as the 4th-biggest ever
Bleacher Report ranked the top-10 biggest NFL trades ever with the Garrett move recently shocking the NFL world. That trade actually came in at 5th all-time on their list. Sitting in 4th, though, was the infamous Russell Wilson trade, when Seattle sent the Pro Bowl quarterback to Denver:
"Broncos Received: QB Russell Wilson, 2022 4th-round pick
Seahawks Received: 2022 1st-, 2nd- and 5th-round picks, 2023 1st- and 2nd-round picks, QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris
The Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and their 2022 trade of quarterback Russell Wilson helped them reach the NFL zenith.
Seattle had won the Super Bowl in 2013 with Wilson at the helm, and it reached the big game again in 2014. However, while Wilson had earned his ninth Pro Bowl nod in 2021, the Seahawks hadn't advanced past the divisional round since 2014 and were clearly looking for a fresh start.
They got it by dealing Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for a massive haul. The Seahawks' return netted key contributors to their 2026 run, including outside linebacker Derick Hall, edge rusher Boye Mafe, offensive tackle Charles Cross, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
In other words, Seattle flipped Wilson to help build a new core, then added the finishing piece by signing quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency.
Things didn't work out nearly as well for the Broncos, who got a mere 11 wins out of Wilson and cut him after just two seasons. Of course, we're here to discuss blockbuster trades, not necessarily deals that were great for all parties involved."
This could not have worked out any less for the Broncos. You cannot fault General Manager George Paton from taking this big swing, but it simply did not work out. Wilson was already regressing big-time, but it wasn't showing on the stat sheet during the final couple seasons of his Seattle Seahawks career.
While Wilson was way more efficient on paper in 2023, a lot of what he was doing was incredibly hollow. The Broncos passing attack just wasn't at all threatening, despite Wilson's 98 passer rating saying otherwise.
The Broncos ripped the Band-Aid off after that 2023 season, acknowledging that they made the wrong move and absorbing, through the 2025 season, $85 million in dead cap. As for the Seahawks, they enjoyed a couple of efficient seasons from Geno Smith, before pivoting to Sam Darnold.
Funnily enough, both Denver and Seattle did kind of 'win' the Wilson trade. The Seahawks obviously won the Super Bowl, which the Broncos have not done since 2015, but it's clear that Denver is capable of doing so in 2026.
Overall, Paton took two major swings that didn't work out - hiring Nathaniel Hackett as the head coach may have been an even worse decision. However, this franchise figured it out and raced to the top of the NFL hierarchy, putting this all-time blunder firmly in the rear view mirror.
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