The Broncos selected their desired Russell Wilson successor in the first round of the 2024 draft. Bo Nix is expected to spend a significant amount of time at the helm of Denver’s offence during his rookie contract, but it does not guarantee he will see the field straight away this season.
The decision to release Wilson, combined with the more recent decision to waive Ben DiNucci, has left Denver with three quarterbacks. Nix will be joined by Zach Wilson, who was acquired in an offseason trade, and Jarrett Stidham, who returns. The latter is the only one with prior experience working for head coach Sean Payton.
A report from earlier this month stated, unsurprisingly, that Stidham is scheduled to begin OTAs with the Broncos’ first-team offence. The 27-year-old started two games after Wilson was benched last season, and he might earn the Week 1 starting job depending on how Nix and Wilson are evaluated this summer. However, Payton recently indicated that those two passers will also receive lots of attention.
“We’ll figure it out,” the former Saints Super Bowl winner stated during minicamp about a quarterback rotation when training camp opens in July (via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold). “With young men, reps are key. But we’ll start with a rotation and then go from there.
Wilson suffered tremendously throughout his stint with the Jets. The 2021 second overall pick was supposed to be a backup in 2023, but Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tear forced him back into the starting lineup. Wilson did not progress as much as he had in prior seasons, thus New York sent him to Denver as part of a Day 3 pick swap. According to the rules of the transaction, the Broncos will pay half of his rookie contract for the remaining year.
Of course, most of the emphasis at Broncos camp will be focused on Nix. The Auburn and Oregon graduate earned a record-breaking 61 starts in college, and he is likely far closer to his NFL potential than many of the five other quarterbacks picked in the first 12 picks. Payton and company were repeatedly linked to Nix throughout the pre-draft process, and the Broncos ranked him as their third-best quarterback prospect.
Given the team’s troubles in identifying a legitimate Peyton Manning replacement, the Broncos will be OK with any of their in-house candidates leading the forthcoming quarterback competition in the short term. It will be interesting to watch how Nix compares to Stidham and Wilson, and how quickly he is given the keys based on their contrasting performances.
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