Before the 2024 league year began, we heard that Jarrett Stidham had a good chance to open the season as the Broncos’ starting quarterback. Now, as the dust settles on the first wave of free agency, it appears that Stidham’s hold on the QB1 job has only gotten stronger.
In evaluating the QB signings and trades that have taken place around the league, Mike Klis of 9News.com says that the Broncos “seem to be leaning toward” having Stidham serve as the starter — at least at the beginning of the 2024 campaign — and using their No. 12 overall selection on a collegiate passer. After all, while Denver considered Sam Darnold, who ultimately signed with the Vikings, Sean Payton & Co. reportedly did not make a contract offer (per Klis, Darnold strongly preferred Minnesota anyway).
Likewise, Klis reports that the Broncos did their due diligence on former Patriots signal-caller Mac Jones, but they did not make a trade offer. New England ultimately dealt Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. Klis also says that Denver was never in on high-priced free agent options like Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, and he adds that the club has not shown any interest in Ryan Tannehill. While there are still free agents (Tannehill) and trade candidates (Trey Lance, Zach Wilson) that the Broncos could pursue, none of them would necessarily unseat Stidham.
Notwithstanding Klis’ expectation that the Broncos’ will use their top draft choice on a quarterback, Troy Renck of the Denver Post believes the team could trade back, unless a player like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy should fall into that range, or unless Payton is particularly high on Oregon’s Bo Nix. Renck’s sources tell him that four quarterbacks will be selected within the top six picks of the draft, and it certainly seems to be a safe bet that the first three selections will be used on passers. The Bears (No. 1 overall) and Commanders (No. 2 overall) appear poised to draft QBs, and even if the Patriots (No. 3 overall) trade back, the team that trades with them may well use that pick on a quarterback. The price to leap up the draft board to select the third- or fourth-best QB prospect in the draft would be prohibitive for a team like the Broncos that is clearly in rebuild mode (to say nothing of the fact that the Vikings, who have the No. 11 overall pick, are better-positioned to make such a move).
Obviously, if the Broncos were to trade down as Renck suggests, that would solidify Stidham as the short-term starter while helping the team pick up additional capital to address other holes on a roster that has plenty of them. One way or another, as Albert Breer of SI.com wrote on the day free agency began, Denver is not going to force anything at the QB position, and Payton’s confidence in Stidham affords them the ability to be patient, even if “patience” is not one of Payton’s favorite words.
Nothing like throwing in the towel on March 17.
StidhM has never had a starting job, he might not be terrible, we will see.
He started in Oakland a bit, no?
Yep he has started a few times.
The “no?” Is getting douchey. Do you really speak that way out loud? Totally effeminate but not surprised. Smh.
Hey JM who woke up and whizzed in your cheerios, bud? Settle down.
Next time I’ll waste my time googling Jarret friggin Stidham’s backstory to be douchey in a more confident, manly way as to not trigger you and whatever you’re hiding in the closet.
“Wizzing in cheerios”
You like that fem boy.
“ Next time I’ll waste my time googling Jarret friggin Stidham’s backstory to be douchey in a more confident, manly way as to not trigger you and whatever you’re hiding in the closet.”
Thats what I’m talking about. That is effeminate. You speak like a woman or a small child. Both embarrassing for a grown man. Smh.
I think JM set a record for the worst a human being has ever been triggered by 2 letters and a question mark. A straitjacket is in order.
Based on his reply to you he’s clearly just trolling and looking for fights/attention.
Shouldn’t have entertained him with a response in the first place, but hey I wasn’t familiar with his “work” until now!
Yes just looking for fights. Look at you two, seem perf for each other. Two high-road effeminate men. How fitting. Echo chamber away ladies.
Your continued use of the word “effeminate” is more of a tell than anything either of us are saying. You seem to know quite a lot on the topic. A shrink would find that very interesting and probably have some follow up questions…
As for me, I’ll just leave you with this: Keep a better eye on your cheerios tomorrow morning, eh?
Is it the tiny D that makes you overcompensate to this degree? The virginity you’re “choosing” to maintain? I’m here to provide free therapy.
Lol Twin insults based around my insult about you queens. Very original Nancys.
Look I just think you two are queer and I don’t like your kind. Bigotry doesn’t equal closet gay.
You two ladies tho seem to be in lock step. Know what they say to Lesbians, Careful not too quick. Congrats on finding each other.
And the piss jokes very fitting for soft fellas like yourselves.
Isn’t this the guy from lock,stock and two smoking barrels ? If not 4-13 upcoming.
Stidham is not going to make those around him better. He can’t make some of the throws Russ was making to Patrick or Sutton.
He can make throws RW wasnt or couldn’t make like,oh, anywhere in the middle of the field. He’s obviously someone who can be jumped over by a higher ceiling guy but as a placeholder could be fine. most of the names mentioned above with exception of Mayfield wouldn’t be better than Stidham. They could be better served filling in other areas of needs with best players in draft, and taking a QB flier later in the draft.
While i see your point regarding some throws Wilson couldn’t, this is still a temporary solution-or should be. I expected Denver to be in on other potentially cheap but potentially capable bridge starters (Mac Jones or Gardner Minshew were examples), but Stidham probably makes up in familiarity what he lacks in upside, and the difference is likely rather small.
Perhaps Stidham’s heights are a bit lower than some of the others mentioned, but he also played adequately at the end of the year. Barring a Geno Smith wonder year, I doubt that this is a long term solution anyway. My only concern would be Denver forcing a pick on a quarterback just for the sake of picking one. This draft is deep enough at a lot of spots that, if they have any question in the slightest about a player, they could grab someone else and get a similar value later.
“Might not be terrible” isn’t a great plan at QB
I think we’re going too see it was Drew’s team, not Sean’s in New Orleans. Seen it with Mike T after Ben retired & in NE when Tom went to Tampa.
No team is going to be successful with a bad starting QB. I don’t think it makes the head coach bad
It’s the HC’s job to build a winning team w/ compentant QB’ing. And since Sean has control of the roster, we’ll see just how good of a team he builds. I’m betting sub .500 this year just like last year.
“It’s the HC’s job to build a winning team w/ compentant QB’ing.”
If that’s your metric, how on Earth is Tomlin on your list? He wins with awful QB’ing.
Last time the Steelers won a playoff game was 2017. All I read from Steelers fan’s is they are fed up w/ that. Most don’t care about his never had a losing season, they care about the playoffs.
Because they are spoiled lunatics with no sense of perspective who genuinely believe that they are entitled to each Lombardi every year.
Most sane people would acknowledge that a coach who never loses even with dubious rosters is what’s known as a good coach.
Yet below, you laugh at BB’s cult over Tom’s replacement. Which is it?
Which is…what?
I laugh at both cults.
You continue to pound this drum of “entitlement”. It’s so ridiculously off base that one doesn’t know whether to laugh at you or worry about your psychological well being
Yeah, there are those who wish Tomlin would move on. Show me a team besides KC where there aren’t such rumblings.
Any fan base wants their team to compete for championships every season. And I’m sure most coaches understand the territory. You’re loved when you win and when you don’t, familiarity breeds contempt
Even Rooney noted being tired of what the Steelers have been doing the past few years. Guess he feels “entitled,” too
If you don’t see it, so be it.
That it’s not 100% universal doesn’t mean it’s not ever present.
Not “entitled” to the Lombardi every year…but we do “expect” a Lombardi every year. Do you root for your team to be mediocre?
I understand windows of contention.
That the team isn’t a championship contender is not because he’s a bad coach, it’s because he’s good enough to never let them rebuild properly.
If fans want to acknowledge that reality and bite the bullet and endure some Hue Jackson years, so be it…instead they expect chicken salad not matter the ingredients.
I never advocated getting rid of Tomlin because truthfully, I think the role of any coach or manager is largely overrated. Yes, there are exceptional coaches and yes, there are coaches who have no business being in charge, but most coaches are somewhere in the middle, no matter the sport
I’d wondered whether Tomlin’s message had gone stale or how he attempted to reach today’s young players had grown old, as Ryan Clark had wondered
But Tomlin got everyone’s attention this off season
You’re right about wins, of course. You’re not going to do better than what he’s done but we know why the lunatic fringe wants the Steelers to move on from him, and it’s not that they feel entitled
The best teams draft well and fill in the gaps with good signings. Sure, they develop players, but to me, personnel is the most important aspect of any team
Now, I’m going to have a beer in honor of Duquesne reaching the big dance for the first time in 47 years. I was in Raleigh for that last appearance and this one may only last one game, too. No matter. Just proud to be an alum
arty was screaming “It’s All About The QB!” which is among the dumbest of the Dumb Sportsball Fan tropes.
I mean anyone with a brain could tell you the Broncos will be under 500 this season lol. If you want to put all the blame on SP not building the team right with zero cap space than go right ahead ♂️
No a bad QB doesn’t make a bad coach however, a good coach adjust to the players he has. Look at Bill Cowher who won with Neil O’Donnel, Mike Tomzack, Kordell Stewart, Tommy Madox, and Charlie Batch before drafting Big Ben. Joe Gibbs won three different Super Bowls with three different QB.
Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Andy Reid, Bill Parcels, and Mike Holmgrem all went to multiple Super Bowls with Multiple teams and different QB’s.
Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls and is never mentioned as great or missing from the HOF….
Food for thought.
Don Shula went undefeated w/ a BU QB no less. He was well above .500 before Marino arrive din Miami as well.
Not sure we’ve seen it with Tomlin. He’s kept that team afloat and competitive despite not having a competent QB. They made the playoffs this year with Pickett and Rudolph.
Payton had his stamp all over the saints, and even got great numbers out of far lesser QBs like Winston. Obvi serious downgrade after Brees left and SP is still looking for someone like that but that was his team.
I agree with most of that minus Bill and Tom. The relationship skewed to Bill getting the best out of Tom early on and then as that started to plateau eventually Tom became the reason Bill stayed successful. There were plenty of defenses that Bill put together that Tom benefitted from.
Maybe Peyton or John will come back. Guess they think they have something in Stidham or as mentioned above, fill other holes and punt this season. Who’s a QB coming out in the following draft as we get the number 1 pick. The ghost of Wilson will haunt us for awhile unless Walmart opens it’s purse.
Payton must think he can groom Stidham into the next best thing. But I’m guessing they’ll eventually bring into camp a veteran retread like Tannehill, Wentz, etc, in addition to taking a QB in the Draft.
Jimmy G is no longer a FA option
Naming ur starting NFL QB, 1 who has only thrown for 1,400 yards over 4 seasons n has as many picks as tds (8) seems rather optimistic n lil foolhardy. Maybe he’s beast in practice. If he’s bridge QB it’s an ol rickety bridge missing planks n swaying in the wind. Jimmy G is Joe Montana compared to Stidham if u look@ their stats. Seems like a reach.
Uh, didn’t Jimmy Garoppolo just sign with the Rams?
Jimmy G is indeed now with the Rams, though he’ll start the coming season with a 2-game drug ban.
Seems weird that they didn’t try to get Fields especially for how little the Steelers gave up for him. Payton was obsessed with Taysom Hill and at this point Fields has looked like a faster Hill.
SP likes pocket passing starting QB’s who can make all of the throws, all over the field. Fields is not that QB. That’s why it never made sense when the media linked Fields with Denver
Then why did he love Taysom Hill so much?
He didn’t play Taysom. He loved him as a gadget guy, but never as QB1.
If he loved Taysom so much why did he never give him QB1 for a season? Because he only loved Taysom in his role and thats all. GTFO.
And my point is that’s all JF is and a 5th rounder which would beat the Steelers offer would be worth it for a gadget guy that maybe has more upside that Taysom Hill ever did.
Admission of tanking this early? Surprising.
$1 says Sean won’t trade back in the draft either. As of now, they have a 1st, 3rd, and then 4th & 5th’s. He needs to milk 12 for as much as he can, reset the roster, and get over the 2 year cap hit for Russ.
Lmao
#TankForEwers lol
I’m still not sure why Payton went to Denver and the Giants, or especially the Cowboys had zero interest in him. Jerry Jones probably could have had him if his large EGO got smaller.
Sean was the 3rd candidate in Denver. They wanted D Ryans, & J Harbaugh over him.
Assuming Jim Harbaugh in that scenario.
Ewers will not go #1. The drop is real.
I was joking lol
I mention this a lot because I thought it was hilarious at the time but it’s only gotten funnier over the years…
Remember when Brady left the Pats to go to Tampa and we had to listen to “Jarrett Stidham is the next Tom Brady” talk for almost an entire offseason from the cult of BB…only to have BB sign a broken down Cam Newton last minute to supplant “the next Tom Brady, Jarrett Stidham”?
Sean Payton was a terrible hire.
This is sad…locking in 4th for AFC West and likely top 3 pick.
Trade for Zack Wilson that way you can still sell all those jerseys
that’s funny
Time to do something the Broncos have never done. Finish with the worst record in the NFL. I hope this is a bluff. Otherwise we will be lucky to win 1 game
Lying season
Broncos gonna tank and draft a quarterback next year…….haha, I agree Payton not the right hire, I think Wilson could’ve been way better under a different coach, Payton dead set against him from the start, he’ll probably do great for the Steelers but Payton gonna do it his way, that old school way of thinking is out, football isn’t the same as the old days…..ask Belechik
Yikes. If Sean Payton really wanted to swing it around, he would do a pick swap for Zach Wilson and turn him into a half decent QB. That would show Hackett who’s boss!
How long after reading that headline will it take Tim Tebow to announce on social media sites that he’s ready to attempt a comeback?
If you are going to crash and burn you might as well do it in spectacular fashion. The only thing hard to understand is why George Paton is still around. Where’s the value in a guy that can’t evaluate talent -or- manage the salary cap?
Is Paton actually calling the shots or is this a situation like the Raiders had where the HC (Gruden) actually held the power?
The amount of smoke teams will put out there and yet you STILL see fans fall for it. No Denver is not going with Stidham as their #1. They’re drafting one. Same with the Raiders.
Penix and McCarthy seem like nice fits.
No love for Gucci DiNucci?!?
That’s sad af