Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has thoroughly praised quarterback Zach Wilson in recent weeks, and general manager George Paton has said he believes Wilson will become a starter again in the NFL.
Perhaps sometime after his stint in Denver.
The Broncos released their Week 1 depth chart on Wednesday. Bo Nix, of course, is listed as the starting quarterback. Jarrett Stidham is listed as the backup quarterback with Wilson listed as QB3.
The depth chart was not released until after Wednesday’s practice, so Payton has not yet commented on the team’s QB depth chart. He was asked if cornerback Riley Moss would be listed as a starter and the coach was not willing to play ball.
“We haven’t named any starters,” Payton said. “We kind of have an idea as we’re going. No announcements. You know how it is during a game week. I’m not going to talk about injuries. I’m not going to talk about lineups, with respect.”
So that’s that. Payton is scheduled to meet the media again on Friday, but judging from Wednesday’s comment, it’s probably safe to assume he won’t have much to say about the team’s backup quarterback depth chart.
Wilson and Stidham are both scheduled to become free agents in 2025. Wilson surely has more long-term upside, but Denver’s going with Stidham as the primary backup going into the 2024 campaign.