3 moves that could end in Broncos GM George Paton being fired

2. The Russell Wilson trade

In conjunction with the decision to hire Nathaniel Hackett, the decision to make a blockbuster deal for Russell Wilson could ultimately result in George Paton being fired as Denver Broncos GM.

It's not funny, but it's funny because at the time this trade was made, Broncos Country couldn't get to the team's online store fast enough to buy Wilson's jersey. They were about to build George Paton a statue outside of Empower Field after he'd been recognized for having the best NFL Draft class in the league in 2021 and then trading for a future Hall of Fame quarterback who had already won a Super Bowl.

I don't fault Paton for the decision to trade for Russell Wilson at all. I don't think everyone agreed with the decision to sign Russell Wilson to a massive $245 million contract extension before he'd played a single down with the team, however. Paton assumed that Wilson was going to work out no matter who was the head coach, and he couldn't have been more wrong. Although many of us were wrong about what could be with Russell Wilson, Paton is the one who put his job on the line with the move.

He traded away his primary NFL Draft capital for two years, and ended up trading multiple franchise cornerstone pieces (Von Miller, Bradley Chubb) to supplement those losses. It's hard to say the Broncos' roster is depleted at this point, but it could undoubtedly be a lot better if not for the Wilson trade.

I don't fault Paton for swinging big on this move, but it has failed miserably. Wilson is about to be cut before his contract even kicks in.