Jarrett Stidham remains the Denver Broncos’ No. 1 quarterback, and one insider believes the team will stick with him in 2024. It’s not what Broncos fans want to hear, but Mike Klis of 9NEWS has provided more information.
The Broncos appear to be leaning toward giving Stidham the edge as the No. 1 quarterback while simultaneously using their No. 12 overall draft pick to select their quarterback of the future.
The silver lining emerges.
There’s a reason why the Broncos haven’t entered the free-agent quarterback market, despite having the resources to do so after making significant roster cuts, a major trade, and restructuring multiple large-dollar contracts. It isn’t because Sean Payton feels Stidham is the Broncos’ future quarterback.
It’s because the Broncos are focusing every thought and action on picking a quarterback in April. That’s where Payton expects to find his next quarterback.
With the No. 12 overall pick, the Broncos are within striking distance of one of the top signal-callers in the 2024 draft class, but the team is too far behind to make landing one a given. At this stage in the offseason, all of the mock drafts and rumours suggest that a quarterback will be selected with the first four picks in the draft.
Given the needs of the teams who currently possess those selections, it is entirely possible that the first three picks will be quarterbacks. However, there are some great, blue-chip non-QB talents, and one or two could be selected in the top five.
Currently, it’s a guessing game. If the Broncos want to land one of the top four quarterbacks — USC’s Caleb Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and Michigan’s late riser J.J. McCarthy — Payton will need to find a willing trade partner to move up the draft rankings.
That won’t be easy, given how many quarterback-needy clubs are ahead of Denver in the draft. And the Broncos lack the draft money to engage in a trade-up, particularly without a 2024 second-round pick.
However, Oregon’s Bo Nix will be ranked No. 12. Michael Penix, Jr. of Washington will very certainly do the same. However, those two quarterbacks might be available later in the first round, allowing the Broncos to move down and stockpile another selection or two.
Whatever happens on draft day, it’s evident from the Broncos’ moves, both big and small, that obtaining a quarterback is on the agenda for April. So, what if the intention is for Stidham to serve as a veteran stopgap for a rookie quarterback that Payton hopes to develop quickly?
Payton spoke highly of Stidham when the Broncos first signed him to a two-year, $10 million contract a year ago. But when his number was called in Week 17, Stidham was unable to shift the needle for a Broncos offence that had been brutally inconsistent all season.
Stidham went 1-1 as a starter, winning the first game but losing the second. He averaged 248 passing yards, which was more than Wilson’s output under Payton, but Stidham only threw two touchdowns and one interception, and the Broncos scored 30 total points during that time.
It isn’t like the Broncos faced two top-ranked defences to end the season. Those were the best results Stidham could muster against the NFL’s 26th and 18th-ranked scoring defences.
Payton understands what it should look like, and while he hoped Stidham would make him appear even wiser for benching Wilson, it did not happen. But Stidham is under contract for $5 million in 2024, and he’s entering his fifth NFL season, so Payton feels comfortable starting him on a short-term basis while the Broncos prepare a rookie.
We can’t really predict what the Broncos will look like next season until the draft is completed. But you can bet that after all is said and done, Payton will have picked a quarterback in his image to groom into Denver’s future under centre.
And that future will arrive sooner than later.
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