As Denver Broncos fans fret about the team’s quarterback situation, coach Sean Payton remains unfazed.
There are only a few veterans still available in free agency, but the Broncos could land a quarterback during the NFL draft in April (perhaps evening by trading up to land a top prospect). And regardless of whether or not Denver drafts a QB, the team still has Jarrett Stidham.
Speaking at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando on Monday, Payton said Stidham will “definitely” compete for the starting job in 2024.
“He’s definitely going to compete to be the starter,” Payton said, via KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. “I don’t think we have a term, ‘driver’s seat,’ really. But he is going to compete for that position. I know he’s anxious and excited to do that and I’m sure there will be other candidates that will be competing with him.”
Who it is that ends up competing with Stidham remains to be seen.
I asked Sean Payton about whether the vision for Jarrett Stidham had changed after the 2 games he played last season.
“That’s a good question. I think relative to his vision, it’s kind of exactly where we saw it a year ago. We felt like this is a player who can compete. …” pic.twitter.com/zu2RF7rMAI
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 25, 2024
Payton also said he doesn’t think Stidham has hit his ceiling as a QB yet.
Payton doesn't think Jarrett Stidham is tapped out yet. Mentioned the relatively few snaps he's played and added later, "In fairness to him, I’m anxious to see where that spot where we say, ‘ok, that’s it.’
"I don’t think we’ve see it yet.”
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) March 25, 2024
There’s no guarantee Stidham will be Denver’s starter in Week 1, but Payton has essentially guaranteed the QB will have a chance to compete for the starting job this summer. Now we wait to see if that competition will be with a rookie. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.
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