Broncos bench Russell Wilson; Packers suspend Alexander for coin-flip snafu

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🏈 Good morning to everyone but especially …

THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME MODERN-ERA FINALISTS

Fifteen former NFL stars took their next step toward Canton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its modern-era finalists who will be under consideration for the Class of 2024. Their year of eligibility is in parentheses.

• Eric Allen, CB (18th year)
• Jared Allen, DE (4th year)
• Willie Anderson, OT (11th year)
• Jahri Evans, G (2nd year)
• Dwight Freeney, LB (2nd year)
• Antonio Gates, TE (1st year)
• Rodney Harrison, S (11th year)
• Devin Hester, PR/KR/WR (3rd year)
• Torry Holt, WR (10th year)
• Andre Johnson, WR (3rd year)
• Julius Peppers, DE (1st year)
• Fred Taylor, RB (9th year)
• Reggie Wayne, WR (5th year)
• Patrick Willis, LB (5th year)
• Darren Woodson, S (16th year)

Listen, these guys were all awesome. So were the 10 semifinalists who missed the cut. Picking between these 15 players will give every voter a headache. I’m glad I don’t have to choose … although if Gates and Peppers aren’t Hall of Famers, I don’t know who is.

👍 Honorable mentions

• C.J. Stroud returned to Texans practice.
• The Dodgers introduced Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
• How about Miller Moss! The USC quarterback, starting for Caleb Williams, tossed a Pac-12 bowl-record six touchdowns in a 42-28 Holiday Bowl win over No. 15 Louisville.
• Five-star Tennessee freshman Nico Iamaleava will start in the Citrus Bowl after Joe Milton opted out.
• Neal Brown got a mayo bath after West Virginia won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
• Ole Miss got the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, defensive lineman Walter Nolen.

😕 And not such a good morning for …

RUSSELL WILSON AND THE DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos are benching Russell Wilson. They can call it a football decision, and a difficult one at that. Sean Payton can say that he hopes Jarrett Stidham provides a “spark,” that his team is “desperately trying to win” and somehow rescues the season.

In reality, it’s the end of the line for Wilson in Denver, a stunning fall from grace after a supposed match made in heaven under two years ago. How does Wilson not playing the next couple of games connect to him likely never playing for Denver again?

• Wilson, 35, is about to enter the first year of a five-year, $245 million extension he signed back in September 2022, before he even played a game for Denver.
• But it’s not as costly as you might think. Wilson is guaranteed $39 million for the 2024 season but nothing after that. His entire 2025 salary ($37 million), though, becomes guaranteed if he’s on Denver’s roster when the 2024 league year starts on March 17.
• Wilson reportedly knew for months his days in Denver were numbered and he expects to be cut this offseason.
• The Broncos will likely designate him as a post-June 1 release to save some money. And, as Cody Benjamin writes, the Broncos need Wilson healthy to do that: “Injured players cannot be outright released — without a negotiated injury settlement, at least — so that explains Denver’s benching of Wilson for the final two games.”

Long story short: Bench Wilson so he’s uninjured, say you’re looking for a spark with Stidham (despite a 1.4% playoff chance per SportsLine), get rid of Wilson and move forward with Payton — not Wilson — as the face of the franchise.

The Broncos sent multiple first-round picks, multiple second-round picks and several players to the Seahawks in March 2022 to acquire Wilson. After Wilson’s disastrous first year that included firing head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Denver traded another first-round pick for Payton, whose rights still belonged to the Saints.

Wilson and Payton were always a curious partnership. Payton thrived with Drew Brees and his precise, on-time play. Wilson has never played that style. The differences were there early — Payton suggested Wilson wear a wristband with the plays — and came out again in ugly, full force in a sideline outburst a week and a half ago.

What’s next for Wilson? There may be suitors somewhere. As for Payton and the Broncos, Year 1 looks like a wash, and Year 2 appears to be Payton’s first with full control. Denver is rebuilding … again.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

• There are more quarterback changes: Tyrod Taylor is taking over for Tommy DeVito, and Jacoby Brissett is replacing Sam Howell.
• Travis Kelce addressed his temper tantrum.
• Yeah, it’s been a tough 21st century for Detroit sports fans.
• Aaron Gordon is away from the Nuggets as he recovers from lacerations to his face and hand due to dog bites.
• The Blue Jackets just can’t figure it out, writes Chris Bengel.

😬 Packers suspend Jaire Alexander for coin-flip snafu

The Packers face arguably the league’s best receiver in a critical division game that essentially boils down to do-or-die for their playoff chances. It would sure be nice to have their two-time Pro Bowl cornerback for that matchup, wouldn’t it? Too bad.

Green Bay suspended Jaire Alexander one game after he nearly cost his team possession in both halves after an impromptu pregame coin-flip call ahead of the Packers’ eventual road win over the Panthers.

• Aaron Jones, Eric Wilson and Quay Walker were the team captains for the game, but Alexander, in his first game since Week 9 due to injury, unexpectedly joined them at midfield.
• The Packers won the coin toss. Alexander told reporters he then said, “I want our defense to be out there,” instead of deferring possession to the second half. Luckily for the Packers, referee Alex Kemp clarified the Packers wanted to defer, not simply to kick off (which would have allowed Carolina to receive the ball to open both halves).
• Head coach Matt LaFleur had also told the referees the plan pregame, which also helped save what could have been an awful mistake.
• Alexander expressed no remorse for the mistake postgame and implied he joined the captains for the coin toss because he’s a native of Charlotte, N.C.

The 7-8 Packers (10th in the NFC standings) face Justin Jefferson and the 7-8 Vikings (eighth in the NFC standings) on Sunday. 

🏀 When will Pistons’ losing streak end?

The Pistons hope to avoid tying the longest losing streak in NBA history tonight when they visit the Celtics. Anything is possible, but beating the league’s best team — which hasn’t lost at home — seems like a tough ask. So, when will the streak end?

Brad Botkin, James Herbert and Jasmyn Wimbish have a terrific, in-depth roundtable that discusses that and more.

• Botkin: “They get the Raptors at home [Saturday], and I think it happens there. If not, they’ll have another good shot at Utah next Wednesday. But I’ll go with the home date against Toronto.”
• Wimbish: “I know it’s crazy to take them against the Celtics, so call me delusional, but I think setting the single-season record for consecutive losses will put enough fire under them to ensure that steak isn’t extended.”
• Herbert: “I’m going to optimistically say Saturday against Toronto. Sure, Detroit has already lost by 29 points to the Raptors this season … but Bojan Bogdanovic and Jalen Duren are back now.”

In happier news, James says Detroit has a future All-Star in Cade Cunningham.

• Herbert: “He’s overburdened right now, and he desperately needs more room to operate, but, at 22, his path to stardom isn’t any different than it was when he went on a tear toward the end of his rookie season. … One day, ideally in the near future, he will be in a much more normal team context, and he’ll probably be praised for some ‘improvements’ that are simply the product of having better, more complementary players around him.”

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

🏈 Fenway Bowl: No. 24 SMU vs. Boston College, 11 a.m. on ESPN
🏈 Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Miami, 2:15 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 18 NC State vs. No. 25 Kansas State, 5:45 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Pistons at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV
🏈 Jets at Browns, 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video
🏈 Alamo Bowl: No. 14 Arizona vs. No. 12 Oklahoma, 9:15 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Heat at Warriors, 10 p.m. on NBA TV