Despite a decent outing from Jarrett Stidham
Denver backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham had a decent outing in Sunday’s victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the Broncos should still look elsewhere for a Russell Wilson replacement, Clark Dalton reports for Yardbarker.
In the 16-9 win, Stidham — the 133rd overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft — completed 20 out of 32 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown, and an above-average 93.8 passer rating. In his post-game news conference, head coach Sean Payton said he “did great.” Others expected more.
What a play. 🤯
📺: CBS | @LJ_Humphrey23 pic.twitter.com/kTqf8giXNb
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 31, 2023
Finding an answer at the most important position in free agency isn’t a viable plan. Spotrac estimates the Broncos will be $18.92M over the cap this off-season. Releasing Wilson with a Post-Jun. 1 designation will result in a $35.4M cap hit.
Taking a QB in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft makes more sense. It’s a deep class that includes Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and LSU’s Jayden Daniels. Per Tankathon, Denver (8-8) will have the 14th overall pick in the draft, which is within range to select one of these prospects.
The Broncos should hold onto Stidham as a stop-gap QB but also select a highly touted prospect who can eventually become the face of the franchise and snap an eight-year playoff drought.
