The Denver Broncos must explore multiple options to fill out their quarterback room for the upcoming season. An NFL insider thinks the Broncos would be a top trade suitor for New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
The Denver Broncos have issues at quarterback
The Broncos’ current quarterback room includes Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. That has to make head coach Sean Payton a little uneasy heading into his second season with the team.
The Broncos are expected to try and take a quarterback in this year’s draft class. However, there will be serious competition in the market for a first-round quarterback. They might have to settle for drafting a quarterback with less prestige coming out of college.
The Broncos could trade with the New York Jets for Zach Wilson
If the Broncos can’t draft a Week 1 starter at quarterback later this month, the team must add enough talent to hold a strong battle for the QB1 job this fall. Former NFL cornerback Bucky Brooks wrote a trade for Wilson would add some fire to a quarterback competition in Denver this summer:
“Despite coming off of a bumpy season managing Russell Wilson, Sean Payton has an outstanding reputation as an offensive wizard/quarterback developer. The grizzled veteran worked wonders with Drew Brees in New Orleans and a young Tony Romo in Dallas, and he squeezed some notable production out of Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston during their brief stints as starters under his direction.
Denver might draft a quarterback, but Payton could give Wilson an opportunity to compete for a starting job with Jarrett Stidham while teaching him how to play winning football at the position. Though the Broncos’ overall talent level is not currently up to par, the presence of Courtland Sutton, an improving ground game and a playing style built around complementary football could alleviate some of the pressure on the young quarterback to carry the team.
If Wilson can handle Payton’s hard-nosed coaching and “tough love” approach, he could maximize his potential under an offensive-minded tutor who understands the position and how to build around the strengths of his quarterback’s game.”
The Broncos could capitalize on a Jets’ mistake
The Broncos could have Wilson cheaply, thanks to the Jets’ mismanagement. Ironically, Wilson was made to look comically inept last season at the hands of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who built the offense for Aaron Rodgers. When Rodgers suffered an injury in Week 1, Hackett was unable to help any other quarterback the Jets had under center.
Payton took a crack at Hackett last year for the way Hackett handled his head coaching duties in Denver during the 2022 season. (Hackett was rumored to have been hired by Denver in the hopes the Broncos could land the other Jets’ quarterback, Rodgers.) While the Jets triumphed in Week 5 in last year’s regular-season matchup with the Broncos, Payton could get a chuckle out of being gifted Wilson basically for free in the upcoming season.
The Jets are expected to trade Wilson at a loss. Because Wilson is owed more than $5 million for the 2024 season, the Jets will likely eat some of his salary plus gift the buyer draft capital. The Jets didn’t help themselves when they flagged the NFL world this winter that they didn’t think Wilson was capable of being an NFL backup.
Payton (who somehow managed his quarterback situation worse than the Jets, as the Broncos are on the hook for $38 million this season to watch Russell Wilson throw balls for the Pittsburgh Steelers) could wind up getting great value if they execute a trade for Zach.
