Speaking Friday, Wilson said the team's decision-makers told him on "the Monday or Tuesday" after the Broncos' Oct. 29 win over the Chiefs that they would bench him if he didn't adjust that $37 million guarantee.
"They definitely told me I was going to be benched and all that," Wilson said. "That whole bye week I didn't know what was going to be the case. I was going to be ready to play, I wanted to go to Buffalo and beat Buffalo [Nov. 13]. ... I wasn't going to remove the injury guarantee, this game is such a physical game, I've played 12 years and all that.
"I want to be able to play, I want to be able to help this team win. ... I know every time I step on the field it's a physical game. I never play timid; I never play scared."
The Broncos were 3-5 after the win vs. the Chiefs, and an injury to Wilson over the season's final nine games could have triggered the guarantee if it was serious enough for him to be unable to pass a physical come March. Wilson said the NFL and its players' association "got involved," and he remained Denver's starter as the team posted wins over the
Bills, the
Minnesota Vikings and
Cleveland Browns in the weeks that followed.
But with three losses in the past four games, including Sunday to the
New England Patriots -- after which Payton was openly critical of the offense -- Wilson formally was benched.