Jarrett Stidham

Jets Made Last-Ditch Push For S Talanoa Hufanga

March 20th, 2025 at 11:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The legal tampering period annually brings waves of unofficial agreements, as official announcements cannot come until the next league year starts. This current arrangement leaves room for teams to poach free agents after they have already committed elsewhere. Although this does not happen often, instances have occurred that led to 11th-hour changes from free agents.

It appears the Jets were involved in an effort to sway a high-end defender’s commitment last week. Talanoa Hufanga agreed to join the Broncos on a three-year deal, doing so hours before ex-49ers teammate Dre Greenlaw agreed to sign with the AFC West team. Hufanga, however, drew a subsequent Jets push.

The Jets attempted to pry Hufanga from the Broncos’ grasp after reports of the deal surfaced, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. Gang Green had been connected to the Jevon Holland market, but Hufanga may have been higher on the team’s list. Holland did not agree to terms (with the Giants) until Day 2 of the tampering period. As Day 1 progressed, the Jets made their case after Hufanga’s camp had agreed to Broncos terms. Hufanga did not come off his decision and is heading to Denver.

This overtime duel for Hufanga pitted Broncos GM George Paton against former lieutenant Darren Mougey, whom the Jets hired as GM this offseason. The former John Elway hire moved onto a lower-cost option at safety once Hufanga kept his Broncos commitment.

A 2022 first-team All-Pro who battled injury issues over the past two seasons, Hufanga signed a three-year, $39MM Broncos deal. The actual terms do not match the initial report, which indicated Denver went to $45MM in total for the multiyear safety starter. Hufanga’s market did not quite match where Holland, Tre’von Moehrig and Camryn Bynum‘s respective free agency forays went. It is unclear if the Jets were offering more money, but it is unlikely they were preparing to make a substantially bigger investment. After their Hufanga push failed, the Jets signed ex-Jaguars safety Andre Cisco to a one-year, $8.5MM pact soon after.

Hufanga, 26, will be set to start alongside Brandon Jones in Denver. He and Greenlaw join former 49ers teammates Mike McGlinchey and D.J. Jones as Broncos starters; Jones had re-signed to stay in Denver the night before the tampering period began. Hufanga’s Broncos agreement includes $20MM guaranteed at signing.

Elsewhere on the Broncos’ roster, their Jarrett Stidham re-signing (two years, $12MM) came with $6.99MM guaranteed at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Broncos are guaranteeing $2MM of their backup QB’s $5.99MM 2026 base salary, providing a runway for the ex-Patriots draftee to extend his Denver run to at least four seasons.

Although Matt Peart could not escape our Minor NFL Transactions section during a frenzied first day of the tampering period, the Denver swingman received a nice raise on his second Broncos contract. Peart’s second Denver deal is worth $7MM over two years, Klis adds. The Broncos, who had Peart at just $1.29MM last season, retained 2026 flexibility by only guaranteeing the backup $775K for injury beyond 2025. Peart, 27, made two starts for the team in 2024. Denver returning UDFA Alex Palczewski as well provides decent protection in the event McGlinchey or LT Garett Bolles miss time.

Broncos To Re-Sign QB Jarrett Stidham

March 9th, 2025 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing their Bo Nix draft choice create considerable promise, the Broncos relegated Jarrett Stidham from a starter competition to 17-game backup. But the team is planning to extend its Stidham partnership.

Nix’s 2024 backup is staying in Denver, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will be Stidham’s second Broncos contract, after he initially arrived on a two-year deal to back up Russell Wilson. Stidham is staying on a two-year, $12MM deal, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. This is a slight raise for the former Patriots draftee, who played out a two-year, $10MM contract. Stidham, 28, will see $7MM guaranteed, per the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel.

Stidham became contract protection for a second straight year, closing out the 2023 season as a two-game Broncos starter. As the Broncos moved to protect against Wilson’s injury guarantee from vesting, they made the move at the same juncture (Week 17) the Raiders did when they moved him into their 2022 starting lineup. Stidham replaced Derek Carr for two games but did not stick around, signing with the Broncos. Rather than bail after Nix won last year’s job and delivered a strong rookie season, Stidham will remain as a mentor.

A six-year veteran, Stidham had entered camp taking first-string reps. But with Nix making a Division I-FBS QB-record 61 starts at Auburn and Oregon, Stidham — Nix’s Auburn QB1 predecessor — never looked like a real threat to hold off the rookie for too long. As it turned out, Nix impressed in the preseason and Sean Payton gave his handpicked passer the job. Stidham’s second Broncos contract will overlap with the two additional seasons in which Nix must stay on a rookie deal.

Stidham went 1-3 as a starter during his 2022 and ’23 two-fers, delivering an impressive performance in a Raiders shootout loss to the 49ers. He guided the Broncos to a win over the Chargers in Week 17 of the 2023 season as well. Those are Stidham’s only four career starts, but the former fourth-round pick has made a nice career as a backup. Stidham did beat out Zach Wilson to become Nix’s backup throughout last season, and with this contract, the former No. 2 overall Jets pick may need to head elsewhere in free agency.

Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham Amenable To Denver Return; Team Unlikely To Retain QB Zach Wilson, RB Javonte Williams

February 2nd, 2025 at 11:48am CST by Rory Parks

Less than a year ago, the Broncos were said to be leaning toward opening the 2024 season with Jarrett Stidham – who was entering the second year of a two-year, $10MM deal – as their starting quarterback. The subsequent acquisition of Zach Wilson via trade may not have changed that plan, but the selection of Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 draft certainly did.

Nix, of course, beat out both Stidham and Wilson for the QB1 job, and he piloted Denver to a 10-7 record and a postseason appearance. After his impressive rookie showing, the Broncos are no longer in need of a starting signal-caller, though the club will need to address the other QB spots on the depth chart since Stidham and Wilson are both out of contract.

Stidham, 28, is amenable to a Denver return, as Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette writes. While the free agent quarterback market will feature some high-profile names (Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, etc.), those players come with their share of question marks, and this year’s QB draft class is considered a weak one. As such, Stidham – who still sees himself as a starter-caliber player – could theoretically get a look elsewhere to compete for a QB1 role.

If such an opportunity does not materialize, however, the Broncos may be his best landing spot given his familiarity with the offense and relationship with Nix (who says the Patriots draftee has been a key part of his development). Unsurprisingly, Tomasson believes Wilson — who was not active for any games in 2024 — is unlikely to be retained.

The same goes for running back Javonte Williams. Although the free agent-to-be recently expressed his desire to remain with the Broncos, Tomasson says the 2021 second-rounder will probably not get his wish.

Williams’ performance as a rookie seemed to put him on track to operate as the lead running back for the Broncos over the long term, as his 2021 timeshare with Melvin Gordon appeared to be a temporary arrangement. Unfortunately, the ACL and LCL tears Williams suffered in 2022, which limited him to four games that season, altered his career trajectory.

While the North Carolina alum tallied a career-high 217 carries in 2023, he posted just 3.6 yards per carry, and his efficiency remained a problem in 2024 (3.7 YPC). He also shared the load with 2023 UDFA Jaleel McLaughlin and 2024 fifth-rounder Audric Estime, both of whom remain attached to rookie deals. Williams did offer much more production in the passing game than his younger counterparts (52 catches for 346 yards), but McLaughlin and Estime outperformed him in the running game in terms of per-carry average.

Per Tomasson, the Broncos will seek out a true RB1 in free agency or the draft.

Broncos Open To Trading Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson; Team Unlikely To Add At Deadline?

October 24th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

While calling the Broncos’ quarterback situation a surplus may be somewhat misleading due to a career backup/third-stringer and a recent bust comprising the reserve contingent, the AFC West team would be a place for teams in need to turn before the deadline.

Bo Nix beat out Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson after a strong preseason and has shown flashes, particularly after a shaky first two weeks, to help the Broncos to 4-3. Nix is entrenched as Denver’s starter, but the Broncos kept both Stidham and Wilson on their 53-man roster. As the deadline looms in less than two weeks, the prospect of the Broncos unloading one of their arms is in play.

Wilson’s talent still intrigues the Broncos, according to ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, who indicates the team would be open to a trade that sends one of the backups elsewhere. Both Stidham and Wilson are on expiring contracts, but it is within reason the Broncos would view one as a player who could back up Nix beyond this season. It would be a reach to suggest either would generate extensive free agency interest, keeping the door open to one being Sean Payton‘s preference to stay.

Stidham, 28, said he still viewed himself as a starter-caliber quarterback following news of Nix’s August ascent to the QB1 gig. Both the Broncos and Raiders turned to the former fourth-round pick in unique circumstances. The Raiders ended Derek Carr‘s nine-season starter stay by parking him to prevent an injury inflating his 2023 guarantees; the Broncos effectively did the same a year later, with Russell Wilson being benched at the same Week 17 juncture. A sixth-year veteran, Stidham never made a start as a Patriot and has attempted just 197 career passes.

Attached to a two-year deal worth $10MM, Stidham loomed as a possible insurance option as a 2024 stopgap. But the Broncos traded for Wilson after long-running negotiations. Days later, they drafted Nix. Wilson’s erratic play did plenty to lead Robert Saleh out of New York, being benched three times from 2022-23. The former No. 2 overall pick’s arm strength outflanks both Nix and Stidham, but he has shown little to indicate a turn into a viable starter will commence. Wilson operated with the Broncos’ third-stringers in training camp and during the first two preseason games, before Nix officially became the starter, and was viewed as having plenty of ground to make up before training camp started. The Jets needed to take on some of Wilson’s salary in order to collect a sixth-rounder (in a pick-swap deal) in April.

Wilson, 24, would still stand to have more upside compared to Stidham. Though, the latter has been in Payton’s system for two seasons and may be the steadier option if Nix suffered an injury. Trading Stidham would clear more salary off the books, as he is due more than $2.5MM in prorated base pay this season. Wilson would be owed barely $500K by an acquiring team. In the event of a trade, the Broncos would probably need add a third QB, as no passers reside on the team’s practice squad.

Additionally, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the Broncos should not be considered likely to add a piece in a trade. Although Denver hosts a listless Carolina team Sunday, the club is developing Nix and does not profile as a Super Bowl contender that would benefit from a hired gun. Indeed, Legwold adds the Broncos are more likely to offload talent — something they did not do last year, despite hitting the deadline at 3-5 — than bring in help this year. Wilson’s $83MM-plus in dead money still overshadows the team, even though the QB will count less on next year’s payroll (roughly $32MM) compared to this season.

While the addition of a pass catcher to help Nix — particularly one signed beyond 2024 — would seemingly boost this Broncos edition, they should probably not be considered a frontrunner for any of the receivers yet to be traded. The Broncos are shorthanded at the position, however, following the report of Josh Reynolds sustaining injuries in a recent shooting.

Broncos Considering Keeping Three QBs

August 25th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 25: When speaking to the media after Denver’s preseason finale – a game in which Stidham and Wilson both played – Payton confirmed (via Renck) that finances will not be a factor discouraging the team from keeping both in place in addition to Nix. A number of teams around the NFL will likely show at least some interest in adding a signal-caller over the next few days, but they may not have the opportunity to obtain one of the Broncos’ passers if Payton’s willingness to hold onto all three holds true.

AUGUST 24: Bo Nix is the Broncos’ starter, a development his draft status and college experience long signaled. This leaves the team’s veteran arms either competing for one roster spot or set to determine which passer is Nix’s immediate backup.

Sean Payton kept only two QBs on the active roster for most of last season, and the Saints regularly rostered only two passers during Drew Brees‘ tenure. With more uncertainty in Payton’s current QB room, however, an exception may need to be made.

The Broncos are not against carrying three passers on the 53-man roster, with Payton indicting (via the Denver Post’s Troy Renck) this is under consideration. While an offseason rule change allows an unlimited number of practice squad elevations for an emergency third quarterback, the Broncos would run the risk of losing one of their backups if they made a cut by Tuesday’s 3pm CT deadline.

The second-year Denver HC might be posturing to potentially drive a trade, but the Broncos’ backup options have disparate profiles. With Nix going into his first season, the team keeping Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson would make sense. The former brings experience in Payton’s system, having signed a two-year deal worth $10MM in the HC’s first Denver free agency period, with the latter supplying higher upside — albeit with a low floor Jets fans observed for the past three seasons.

Last year’s spree of quarterback injuries leaguewide also could give the Broncos a potential trade chip, as the team carrying all three could precede calls. While Wilson expectedly generated minimal trade interest this offseason, needs arise based on injuries. Stidham is more experienced and would conceivably appeal as a backup option elsewhere — especially in the event a starter goes down. The Texans took calls on both their C.J. Stroud backups — Davis Mills, Case Keenum — before last year’s deadline.

Stidham, 28, preceded Nix as Auburn’s starter and would make more sense as an immediate backup. He spent last season as Russell Wilson‘s QB2, before once again being inserted into a starting lineup largely due to a starter’s contract issue, and is going into his sixth year. Stidham started the Broncos’ first preseason game and entered camp in the QB1 role. Wilson certainly has more starting experience, but his Jets starter arc does not exactly work in his favor. Bringing more upside as a passer, Wilson was still benched three times as a Jet. He also has been Denver’s third-stringer for weeks, never making a serious challenge — despite some recent Payton praise — for the starting job.

It would cost nearly the same amount of dead money to jettison either vet. The Broncos would incur $2MM in dead money by releasing Stidham; they would take on $2.76MM in dead cap by waiving Wilson. The 25-year-old arm not being a vested vet stands to play into Denver’s decision, as there is a chance Wilson is claimed if waived. Though, that is far from a certainty. With only $1MM of Stidham’s base salary guaranteed, the team could also save $5MM by cutting him. No cap savings would come from a Wilson cut.

The Broncos will hope this does not matter much, preparing to give the keys to their first-round pick ahead of what the team hopes is a lengthy starter tenure. The team has seen its recent starters — from Russell Wilson to Teddy Bridgewater to Drew Lock to Joe Flacco — suffer injuries requiring relief work, making the Stidham-and/or-Wilson call rather important.

Bo Nix Moving Toward Broncos’ Starting Job; Zach Wilson Gaining Ground?

August 19th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 19: In the wake of another impressive Nix preseason performance on Sunday, Payton declined to confirm he will get the nod for Week 1. He did indicate (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) he was impressed by Nix’s showing, but no official announcement has been made regarding a starter yet. Both Wilson and Stidham led scoring drives against the Packers, so Denver’s QB depth chart remains uncertain at this point.

AUGUST 16: Jarrett Stidham started the Broncos’ preseason opener, and Zach Wilson remains on the roster. But Bo Nix has long been expected to take over at some point fairly early in the season. That point may now be Week 1.

Rumblings about Nix usurping Stidham to take the reins from the jump have emerged, and the Denver Post’s Troy Renck now offers that “little debate” exists about who will start for the Broncos. Nix, who fared well in his preseason debut, has steadily impressed. An offseason report noted Nix had ground to cover to catch Stidham, but given the team’s investment and the QB’s experience (61 starts), it is unsurprising the gap has narrowed to the point the veteran’s roster spot is not guaranteed.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds it would surprise if Nix were not out there with the starters in Week 1. Nix went 15-for-21 with 125 passing yards against the Colts, throwing a touchdown pass and leading the team to four drives. The Oregon prospect is starting the Broncos’ second preseason game, though Sean Payton said Stidham (4-for-7, 37 yards) would play more Sunday.

Nix opening the season would be new territory for the Broncos, who did not give Drew Lock, Paxton Lynch, Tim Tebow or Jay Cutler the Week 1 keys (Lock started his rookie season on IR; the rest opened their rookie years as backups). No Broncos rookie QB has begun a season as the starter since John Elway 41 years ago, but after taking on a staggering dead money total via the Russell Wilson release, it has always seemed likely Payton would turn to the player he drafted in Round 1.

Regarding Nix’s backup, Wilson’s recent showings have clouded that situation. The ex-Jets bust has looked better in practice recently, Renck adds, and Payton praised his showing against Indianapolis (10-for-13, 117 yards). A Broncos coach called Wilson “rejuvenated,” Russini adds. The former No. 2 overall pick, who has Nix outflanked in terms of raw arm talent, would bring more dead money ($2.73MM) than Stidham ($2MM) if cut, but Renck adds finances are not expected to prominently factor into Denver’s QB2 decision.

Payton kept two QBs last season, carrying Ben DiNucci on the practice squad, and has generally gone with a two-QB setup during his career as a head coach. Of course, Drew Brees‘ durability helped on that front. The Broncos could also keep Stidham and Wilson and listen for trade interest. If the team cut Wilson, he would need to clear waivers to make it back to Denver’s P-squad. Attached to the two-year, $10MM contract he signed in 2023, Stidham is a vested veteran and would go straight to free agency.

Stidham sticking around would provide a veteran presence, even if Wilson has far more starting experience. The latter’s woeful Jets tenure, featuring three benchings and partially involving embattled ex-Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett, would stand to leave the Broncos vulnerable if Nix suffers an injury. But after initially being dropped out of the starter competition as Stidham remained involved, Wilson has nudged his way back into the conversation for at least making the 53-man roster in his contract year.

QB Jarrett Stidham To Start Broncos Preseason Opener

August 10th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

When the Broncos take the field for their preseason opener tomorrow, it won’t be first-round pick Bo Nix under center. Instead, journeyman Jarrett Stidham will be starting the contest, as head coach Sean Payton told reporters on Friday (via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post).

While recent reports indicated that the Broncos rookie may have leaped the veteran for the QB1 spot, Payton will be sticking with the same hierarchy that he’s rolled with for much of the offseason. As Gabriel notes, Stidham got first-team reps at minicamp, OTAs, and training camp, and the coaching staff isn’t planning to deviate from that plan on Sunday. However, the team will eventually give Nix an opportunity to play with the other Broncos starters, as Payton revealed that the Oregon product will start Denver’s second preseason game.

“I just think right now, certainly he’s been here, his experience,” Payton said of Stidham (via Gabriel). “Next week it’ll be Nix, but we’re focused on this game and I would say that it’s just where we’re at.”

Of course, all of the team’s quarterbacks will end up seeing the field on Sunday. Payton said Stidham will play “Phase 1” of the contest before giving way to Nix. The rookie will get his chunk of reps before Zach Wilson gets a look.

Considering Nix’s draft stock and Stidham’s underwhelming career stats, it seems like only a matter of time before the rookie takes the top spot on the depth chart. We heard recently that the 12th-overall pick appeared “to have edged past” Stidham for the starting gig, and at the very least, we learned Nix wouldn’t start the year occupying the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. With 61 college starts on his resume, Nix is better positioned than other rookie QBs to immediately take the reins, but it sounds like the Broncos are still going to take it (relatively) slow with their first-round investment.

Bo Nix Moving Ahead Of Jarrett Stidham In Broncos’ QB Competition?

August 3rd, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos appear to have narrowed their quarterback competition to two contenders. As expected, trade acquisition Zach Wilson lost out on first-team reps during training camp this week, increasing the attention shown to incumbent Jarrett Stidham and first-round rookie Bo Nix.

The latter has long been expected to take the reins at some point in 2024, as Day 1 passers often see regular season action at some point in their rookie campaigns. Nix, 24, is a veteran of 61 starts in college and is better positioned than most to handle first-team duties right away. At a minimum, the Auburn and Oregon alum will not start the year occupying the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.

Nix is still a strong candidate to earn the Week 1 nod, though. The 12th overall pick “appears to have edged past” Stidham in recent practices, Mike Klis of 9News writes. Both signal-callers received first-team reps, but Klis notes the rotation has left the door wide open for Nix to continue impressing Sean Payton and the coaching staff. Indications from June pointed to him being the favorite in the long run, so this latest update comes as little surprise.

Stidham made a pair of starts to close out the 2023 season, Payton’s first as head coach in Denver. The soon-to-be 28-year-old took over once it became clear Russell Wilson‘s tenure in the Mile High City had realistically come to a close. The longtime Seahawk’s release paved the way for multiple additions, and Wilson’s arrival came shortly before the decision to select Nix – one Payton confirmed was the Broncos’ Plan A all along.

Improved play on offense will be critical for Denver in 2024, and more efficiency in the passing game is needed for the team to return to the postseason. Plenty of time remains for Nix’s potential to be realized at the NFL level, as he could be retained through 2028 via the fifth-year option. The Broncos’ evaluation period before a decision on that front could still very well begin as early as Week 1 of his rookie season.

Zach Wilson Losing Ground In Broncos’ QB Competition

August 1st, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

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.

Broncos To Eliminate One QB From Starting Competition

July 28th, 2024 at 3:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

During OTAs and minicamp, the Broncos allowed all three of their quarterbacks to take reps with the first-team offense. Each of returnee Jarrett Stidham, trade acquisition Zach Wilson and first-round rookie Bo Nix continued to spend time with the starters during the opening week of training camp, but that three-man race will soon be thinned to two.

“The rotation has been pretty consistent,” head coach Sean Payton said (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette). “I think that will begin to change a little bit as we get into the next week and a half to two weeks… We’ve kind of been in this pretty consistent pattern and I think it’s hard for that to stay the same throughout all of camp.”

Giving additional reps to the Week 1 starter is a logical approach, although Payton and his staff have not given a firm indication of which signal-caller is the likeliest to start the season atop the depth chart. What is known at this point, to no surprise, is that Nix will not enter the year as QB3. The competition for at least a backup role will thus come down to Stidham and Wilson.

The former has familiarity with Payton’s system dating back to last year, leaving him ahead of the latter in the pecking order. Indeed, Tomasson notes Wilson is the likeliest to drop out of the rotation once a switch is made. The 24-year-old failed to establish himself as a starter with the Jets, ultimately finding himself being dealt to the Broncos for a swap of Day 3 picks. Indications from last month pointed to Wilson having ground to make up on Stidham, and the limited opportunities both have had so far would make it unlikely a signficant change has taken place in that respect.

Wilson would need to clear waivers (unlike Stidham) if he were to finish camp at the No. 3 spot. Going that route would create $2.7MM in dead money, a consideration which could allow Wilson to remain on the 53-man roster. Recent rule changes have, on the other hand, made it easier to elevate passers from the practice squad to the emergency third-string role on gamedays. That could sway Payton to carry only two passers and stick with Nix and Stidham (in one order or the other) during the fall.

Plenty of time remains before the Broncos’ preseason schedule, something which will offer another opportunity for the team’s QB competition to be evaluated. By that point, only two contenders will likely still be in the running for the Week 1 nod.

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