With Russell Wilson now in Pittsburgh, Denver’s quarterback room is significantly different, with Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson, and Bo Nix. So far, head coach Sean Payton’s praise for his three quarterbacks has been somewhat subdued. It has also been a little strange.
“It’s kind of the orphan group,” he explained. “They’re all orphaned dogs.” They came from somewhere, and they’re doing well. It’s a good room.
When an NFL head coach has a great quarterback, it’s easy to become comfortable. No offence to Andy Reid, but it’s probably quite easy to plan plays when you know Patrick Mahomes will run them.
When a head coach loses a trustworthy signal-caller, a great club can suddenly become mediocre. It can also mean the end of a career, as evidenced by the recent split between Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
Another example is Payton. Drew Brees, one of the best quarterbacks of all time, led the New Orleans Saints for all but one of his years in charge. The year after Brees retired, the Saints had four quarterbacks and suffered their worst season in a long time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Payton spent his final year in New Orleans.
When Payton returned to Denver and the team signed Russell Wilson, many believed the stars had aligned again. Super Bowl-winning coach meets Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Of course, unless they watched it on television, neither of them caught a glimpse of the big game.
Russell Wilson may be referred to as an orphan, given that the Jets clearly no longer wanted him. However, he was not waived or released; rather, the Broncos acquired him in a trade. The term makes less sense beside the other two. First and foremost, Stidham did not “come from somewhere”; he was with the Broncos last year. He primarily backed up Russell Wilson, but he started two games and did rather well.
Calling a player fresh out of college an orphan is also unusual. This is especially true where Nix was drafted. While other quarterbacks were drafted before him, Denver selected him with its first pick at No. 12, which was high for a team with numerous pressing needs.
So, one of these “dogs” will be the starter this season? Payton isn’t sure yet, or maybe he’s simply keeping things quiet in the beginning. Whoever it is, the franchise and fans alike are undoubtedly hoping that they do not make a big mess on the field.
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