The switch of quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver has also impacted the odds at the bookmakers.
The Broncos have gone up and down in the bookmaker’s rankings several times since the 2021 season ended. Bookmakers estimated Denver’s odds of winning the championship at 41.0 shortly after the regular season. When word got out that Denver was a contender to sign Aaron Rodgers, the odds for a title improved to 17.0.
Rumors that Rodgers would prefer to stay with the Packers pushed the Broncos again. Denver suffered again in terms of odds when Rodgers’ decision became official. But the Wilson trade was soon announced, and the Broncos now have the No. 5 odds to win the Super Bowl (13.0), behind only the Chiefs, Bills, Packers, and Rams.
Wilson’s MVP chances have also improved. His chance of winning the top individual award is now estimated at 13.0 odds. That’s much higher than when he was with the Seahawks. The trades situation has been slower so far than in past trading periods.
NFL clubs can spend decades trying to find a 33-year-old quarterback like Wilson. Such quarterbacks rarely enter the free agent market and are not available for trade. The Broncos got him without destroying their team’s roster, losing all the space under the salary cap, or losing all the capital in future drafts.
Wilson’s 2021 season is no longer as active running with the ball in his hands as in previous years (43 takeaways in 14 games, a career anti-record), and one has to wonder if he’s capable of reaching peak efficiency without those runs.
But even Wilson on the minors is a tremendous boost to a position that the Broncos have had a variety of passers since Peyton Manning ended his career. The Broncos now have a top-10 quarterback in the league.
The quarterback market is not fully formed yet, but it should clear up soon. For now, we have to guess from Instagram updates, tweets, or podcast interviews.