After the Denver Broncos decided to release quarterback Russell Wilson on Monday after two seasons, the team found itself in a bit of a precarious situation.
The Broncos aren’t yet out of negative cap space for 2024, and they’ll have to consider making some tough cuts/trades and working on some restructures to get themselves into the position of spending this spring.
However, they’ll need to find a solution for quarterback in 2024 with Wilson out the door sooner than later. While the outlook might not look rosy, there are some workable veteran options available in free agency and a couple of obtainable draft prospects if the team likes one of the rookies.
Let’s break down five realistic paths for Denver this offseason at quarterback.
QB Jarrett Stidham
It’s very possible the Broncos will want to give Stidham a chance to win the starting job outright via a training camp battle. He’s bounced around the league a little since starting in 2019 with the New England Patriots, with Denver as his third team.
Maybe Payton will prefer to try Stidham out after spending the entirety of 2023 with him on the roster, but it’d feel like a risk to make him the main option without meaningful competition or a rookie waiting in the wings.
QB Sam Darnold
Here’s where you could find your competition for Stidham. Darnold got a year with San Francisco and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan under his belt, and it’s possible Payton could see the former first-round pick as a project he could continue to mold into a serviceable starter, if only for a year.
A camp battle between Stidham and Darnold might not inspire a lot of confidence for Broncos fans, but it might be an affordable way to solve the quarterback spot for 2024. Such is the life of a team strapped for cash.
QB Gardner Minshew
If the Broncos want a sure-fire stopgap starter, they could turn to Minshew after a commendable year in Indianapolis with the Colts and sign him to a one-year contract laden with incentives. He could navigate the Broncos through 2024 and help the team stay competitive in a tough AFC West on a reasonable contract. He’d also be a solid one-year starter if Denver drafts a rookie and wants to sit them for 2024 to develop.
QB Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill is the most intriguing option of the free agents for Denver, if only because he’s played at at high level as recently as 2022 and Payton might be able to scheme him up an offense that’s best suited for where he is in his career. This might make the most sense of any of the options on here for a free agent signing, as Tannehill has the highest ceiling of any of these free agents, even if his floor sinks a bit lower as he gets older.
Like with Minshew, we could see Denver signing Tannehill to a one-year deal and drafting a rookie for 2025.
A 2024 NFL Draft pick
Here’s the most logical solution … if Denver can make it work with draft compensation. The Broncos don’t have a second-round pick right now, but veterans like safety Justin Simmons, wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy and running back Javonte Williams could hypothetically be traded for additional picks.
That might help facilitate a trade up the draft board for someone like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, or it might help them get a second rounder to draft someone like Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.
A quarterback like South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler or Tulane’s Michael Pratt could likely be had in the third round or later.
If the Broncos take this path, we’re guessing a stopgap option will be in the works unless Denver really believes one of these guys is ready to go for the 2024 season. Sitting them for a year makes more sense, however.
