As the Broncos announce that it will move on from Russell Wilson, CBS News Colorado takes a look back at the quarterback’s five best games before he’s released.

The quarterback signed a $245 million multi-year extension that was supposed to carry him through 2028 before even playing a snap for Denver, a decision which came back to bite the Broncos.

“We thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career,” the team wrote in a statement.

Wilson released a statement of his own on social media and gave thanks to Broncos Country and the organization. Earlier in the year, Wilson expressed his desire to play for the organization and wanted to lead the team to another Super Bowl win.

The Broncos also gave Wilson the OK to speak to teams before being released as the quarterback has a few landing spots, including the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings.

While Wilson plans to speak a few teams ahead of March 13, let’s take a look back at some of the best games he played a part of with the Broncos.

Win against Los Angeles Chargers on 1/8/22

One game that particularly stands out in Wilson’s time with the Broncos, was when the quarterback posted 283 yards on 13 completions out of 24 attempts and dished out three touchdowns against Los Angeles in the final game of the 2022 season.

Wilson also completed 54.2% of his passes and, although he threw one pick in the game, he still averaged 11.8 yards, which was the most he averaged against an opponent in 2022. Wilson also posted his second-highest QB rating in a game that season with a 60.6.

The Broncos defeated the Chargers, 31-28.

Loss against Kansas City Chiefs on 12/11/22

During his time with the Broncos, Wilson has played a couple games where he was efficient against the dynasty in the Kansas City Chiefs.

One of Wilson’s best games as a Bronco came in a loss against Kansas City where he completed 26 out of 38 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown and one pick thrown.

Although Wilson was sacked four times in the game, he continued to persevere and ended the game with a 68.4% completion, but also rushed for two touchdowns. He also had 27 yards rushing on four carries in the game.

Kansas City defeated the Broncos, 27-24.

Loss against Washington Commanders on 9/17/23

It was a tough loss for the Broncos in the second game of the season, but Wilson definitely showed up to play against the Commanders.

Wilson threw for a season-high 308 yards and tossed three touchdowns on 18 completed passes out of 32 with one interception. Wilson also rushed for 56 yards which was also a season-high for him.

He also had a season-high passing average with 9.6 yards per throw. Wilson completed his longest pass for the year with a 60-yard bomb after the ball was bobbled toward the end zone by Marvin Mims Jr. and caught by Brandon Johnson for the score. A failed extra-point attempt to tie the game led to the Commanders winning against the Broncos.

The Commanders won against the Broncos 35-33.

Win against Kansas City Chiefs on 10/29/23

A blowout from the Broncos against the Chiefs in a rematch for the second meeting of the season was not predicted by the best analysts, especially with Denver coming into the game 2-5 for the season.

This game was nearly nothing special for Wilson after posting 114 yards passing on 12 out of 19 passes completed, but he also recorded three passing TDs in the game with a pass completion percentage of 63.2%. He also rushed for 30 yards on 8 carries.

Although Wilson’s performance in this game probably won’t be remembered, the fact that he led the way in one of the best blowouts in team history against a dynasty in the Chiefs will be far more memorable.

The Broncos defeated the Chiefs, 24-9.

Win against Los Angeles Chargers on 12/10/23

Another blowout in Wilson’s bag, he came ready to play as the Broncos attempted to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win against the Chargers.

Another game that would probably go overlooked for one of Wilson’s top performances, but the manner of the win and everything that was at stake as far as playoff contention in this victory was huge for Denver.

Wilson ended the game against the Chargers with 224 yards thrown and completed 21 out of 33 passes for two touchdowns and one interception thrown.

The Broncos also took advantage of the QB change in this game when Justin Herbert went down and Easton Stick was subbed in, which also attributed to the blowout.

The Broncos defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-7.

DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 31: Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) walks the sideline as his teammate Jarrett Stidham (4) started as quarterback at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on December 31, 2023. The Denver Broncos take on the Los Angeles Chargers during week 17 of 2023 NFL season.RJ SANGOSTI/MEDIANEWS GROUP/THE DENVER POST VIA GETTY IMAGES

Wilson was benched following a 26-23 Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots, which led to Jarrett Stidham taking over at quarterback.

While Wilson’s play wasn’t exactly All-Pro worthy in 2023, the decision to bench him certainly had mostly to do with his contract, as Wilson had an injury guarantee of $37 million for 2025 that would go into effect should he suffer any injury that would prevent him from passing a physical in March.

Although it was a tough season overall for Wilson and the Broncos, the quarterback reached the milestone of tossing a touchdown in the first 15 games. Peyton Manning is the only other Bronco QB who achieved this milestone after doing so in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.