This week of Broncos practices has revealed a separation in the team’s quarterback competition. One member of the three-man battle is losing ground to the point his place in it is now in question.
The team’s recent workouts included Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix receiving their turns with the first-string offense, but Zach Wilson saw his turn with the 1s skipped. For the time being, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, this appears a two-man competition. Sean Payton said recently the Broncos would eliminate a member from the competition during the first two weeks of padded practices. It looks like Wilson will be the one dropped, putting his roster spot in question.
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Payton indicated today the current makeup of Denver’s QB competition is not “etched in stone,” and SI.com’s Albert Breer adds it has been communicated to the former Jets No. 2 overall pick he is not yet out of this race. But Wilson entered training camp with ground to cover to win even the backup job. Early camp work is continuing this storyline.
No plans to stash Nix as a developmental third-stringer are in place, and Breer adds the No. 12 overall pick is swiftly picking up Payton’s offense. That said, Legwold indicates Stidham has spent most of this week with Denver’s first-stringers. Stidham, who has moved into a starting role after two teams have sat their starters (Russell Wilson, Derek Carr) due to injury guarantees, has the most experience of the trio in Payton’s offense, as he signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Broncos last March.
Stidham, 28 next week, would appear a placeholder at best. Nix being 24 and having set the record for most starts by a Division I-FBS quarterback (61) points to him making his starter debut early in the season — if not in Week 1. The preseason will be telling regarding the Oregon- and Auburn-developed prospect’s chances of winning this job — though, a midsummer report indicated it is likely his to lose — but Stidham should not be expected to hold him off for too long.
The Broncos would take on $2.73MM in dead money by releasing Zach Wilson and $2MM by cutting Stidham. Payton typically keeps two QBs on his active roster. Wilson would need to clear waivers to factor into any Broncos practice squad/emergency QB3 plans.
Elsewhere in Broncos camp, Breer notes the team’s No. 2 cornerback competition looks to be down to Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis. The team signed Levi Wallace and used a fifth-round pick on Kris Abrams-Draine, but this competition appeared Moss’ to lose entering camp.
The 2023 third-rounder, for whom the Broncos sent the Seahawks a 2024 third-rounder to acquire, played a special teams role after a core muscle injury set his development back last summer. Mathis, a 2022 fourth-rounder who replaced Ronald Darby as Denver’s outside CB starter opposite Patrick Surtain in 2022, struggled to start last season and was benched for Fabian Moreau. Wallace is the veteran of this group, with Moreau signing with the Vikings this week, but he was unable to hold a Steelers starting gig last season. The Broncos, who have Mathis signed through 2025 and Moss through 2026, only guaranteed Wallace $668K.
No one loses ground like Zach Wilson.
It’s gotta be hard explaining to your kids that you’ve gone from clipboard holder #1 to CBH #2.
$2.73 million in dead money to dump Wilson? Ouch. The guy is going to screw two teams due to his suckage. This is looking like a very stupid move by the Broncos.
It’s really not a big deal. It’s less than 1% of their cap. It’s a little more than 5% of what they’re paying Russell Wilson to play somewhere else this year
So what you’re saying is the Broncos made some bad decisions.
I’m saying the Zach Wilson trade is inconsequential if they get nothing out of it. They traded the smallest amount of draft capital possible, and even if they have to eat the money they owe him, it’s less than a bunch of punters make. It’s a rounding error.
Shocking news
Offer him to Seattle for Dee Eskridge
Makes sense. Also to browns for David bell
No thanks..even if Geno misses time we have Howell and could sign Tannehill before this guy.
At this point I actually feel bad for the kid. Damn man the Jets destroyed him!
Wilson was being coached by AR12. If he couldn’t figure it out under him, he has no chance in the NFL.
If he couldn’t figure it out under a delusional narcissist known for putting his own needs above the teams who was in direct competition with him…?
Not saying he’s any good, but he was doomed the moment he became a Jet and Rodgers was the nail in the coffin.
Your characterization of Rodgers is not rooted in reality. Rodgers doesn’t put himself above the team. He’s taken less money, he’s stood up for guys in the locker room with no power or leverage, and he spoke out about the dangerous clot shots. You don’t like him because you’re a political marxist who has no choice but to hate everyone who disagrees with your political agenda. It’s the same nonsense from all the Rodgers haters.
Remember when the packers didn’t want to pay Rodgers, and then gave his narcissistic understudy the worst contract in the league?
So if you don’t like Rodgers it’s only because of politics and not because he’s a whiny, self-centered, attention-starving douche bag? Gotcha.
Rodgers: I had no weapons in Green Bay.
Also Rodgers: I want the same weapons I had in Green Bay.
Well, I don’t think anybody could argue that the Packers have had a complete receiving corps for the last several years…
And, in regards to being “coached” by Rodgers-getting tips from a quarterback versus being coached by an actual are two pretty different things. Brady had countless understudies, as did Manning, as did Roethlisberger, Rivers, Ryan…most of those guys didn’t amount to much. I don’t think that the quarterback’s “coaching” is the make or break here. If it does matter, I think that Jordan Love should be mentioned here in Rodgers’ favor, especially since Love even plays a lot like Rodgers at times. It’s really up to the player, and much more the offensive environment and scheme early in his career, that will influence his development.
Most great quarterbacks don’t end up making their backups better. The guys who end up being good anyway surely benefit, but I don’t think that it changes the career trajectory in most cases, certainly in enough of them to be considered as a rule.
I’ve been laughing at his malignant narcissism long before he revealed any political leanings so, it’s likely you’re projecting and defending him solely because you like his politics…as he’s been a selfish jagoff for a long while now.
Also, if Mike Wallace could have heard the play calls on the final drive, Rodgers might well have zero rings.
The idea that this diva is going to lead the most inept franchise maybe in all of sports to glory is flat earth stuff.
That wasn’t directed to me, was it?
It was not.
Ah. Merci.
Once he was injured, how much work do you think he was doing with the kid? He was broken long before The Diva showed up
Losing ground & Zac Wilson, name a better combo
Tied with Cleveland Browns and acquiring accused rapist QB’s.
Key word: accused
Can you lose ground when you never actually had any in the first place?
Being drafted second comes with ground to lose.
That’s what a delusional Marxist would say.
You should watch Hard Knocks Jets Training camp. The players were ooo’ing and awe’ing over Rodgers play. You can see Rodgers knows every detail of the offense inside and out, and has high standards for his WRs to be exactly where they’re supposed to be. That’s one reason he doesn’t throw alot of INTs. He had a headset on and literally gave Wilson advice during preseason games. So not sure how exactly Wilson was “doomed”?
Side note: Hackett is a real goof ball. Wouldnt trust that guy around my kids. Can see why he failed miserably in Denver.
Of course he knows the ins and outs of the offense. The offense is whatever he wants to do.
As it should be. But as in all professions there are journeyman and masters. Rodgers is a master. That is a big factor in the players on the team, many of whom watched him play on TV when they were kids. I dont think Carr or Geno Smith would generate this much excitement on a team.
No, got to be some kind of mistake here.
Kid is struggling, always looks scared n uncomfortable. Next stop CFL.
If a QB can’t succeed with 4 downs do you really expect him to succeed with 3 downs?
Even Zach Wilson was like, “well yeah, I’m Zach Wilson! Why are you surprised?”