Tag: backup quarterback

Potential 2024 QB options for the Broncos (without Jarrett Stidham)

If the Broncos cut QB Jarrett Stidham, they would save $5 million in cap space. Here are five QB paths Denver could take in such a scenario.

Last week, we published a list of potential quarterback paths the Denver Broncos could take in 2024 and all of them included Jarrett Stidham.

Today, we’re going to take a quick look at QB paths for the Broncos without Stidham on the team. Denver seems likely to move on from Russell Wilson this offseason, but Stidham’s status with the club is harder to gauge.

It’s possible that the Broncos could go into 2024 with Stidham on the roster either as a starter or competing for the starting job. It’s also possible that Denver could part ways with both Wilson and Stidham this spring.

Stidham is set to have a salary cap hit of $7 million in 2024. If the Broncos release the quarterback, the team would create a $2 million “dead money” cap hit with a net savings of $5 million in salary cap space.

With Denver in desperate need of more cap space, the possibility of Stidham being cut can’t be ruled out. Here are five hypothetical QB scenarios the Broncos could consider this spring without Stidham on the team.

Ex-Broncos QB Jeff Driskel details bumpy ride in 2023 season

Journeyman backup QB Jeff Driskel estimates that he spent 140 nights away from his family and 85 nights in hotels during the 2023 season.

Being a quarterback in the NFL is a job that countless Americans would love to have, but it’s not always as glamorous as fans might think.

Jeff Driskel took to social media last week to detail the bumpy ride he had as a journeyman backup quarterback during the 2023 season.

“Year 8 in the Books,” Driskel wrote on his Twitter/X page. “Enjoyed the time with both the Cardinals and the Browns. Professional sports is the best career in the world but has its challenges to say the least. The journey is what makes it special! Here’s a quick recap of the season by some numbers:

Signed: 4
Cut: 2
Tryouts: 2
AirBnB Rented: 2
Houses Crashed at: 1
Nights Away Family: Approx 140
Nights in a Hotel: Approx 85
SMB Acquired: 1 (will get more into this later)

There’s always challenges, but it was a blast. Thankful to still be able to play at the highest level

Driskel has spent time with seven NFL teams since entering the league in 2016. He played for the Denver Broncos in 2020, starting one game when the team had injuries at the position. Driskel completed 54.7% of his passes for 432 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions in Denver.

Driskel has dressed for 24 games since 2018, starting half of them. Now entering his ninth year as a pro, Driskel is scheduled to become a free agent in March. He will turn 31 in April.

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Potential 2024 QB options for the Broncos with Jarrett Stidham included

If the Broncos move on from Russell Wilson, what happens at QB in 2024? Here are five options that include keeping Jarrett Stidham.

Assuming the Denver Broncos are going to move on from Russell Wilson this offseason, the team will need a new starting quarterback in 2024.

Right now, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are both under contract. It’s possible that Denver could also cut Stidham this spring, but today we’re going to explore several options that include keeping Stidham.

The first option would be to roll with Stidham in 2024, something Peter King thinks is a real possibility. A second option would be to sign a veteran free agent to compete with Stidham this summer.

A third option would be to draft a quarterback (perhaps 12th overall) to compete with Stidham. A fourth option would be to trade for a veteran (which doesn’t seem likely) and a fifth option would be to sign a veteran and draft a rookie.

So, what’s the best option for the Broncos in 2024? Let’s take a look at the five scenarios.

Broncos’ passing leaders from the 2023 season

Jarrett Stidham (7.5) averaged more yards per attempt than Russell Wilson (6.9) in 2023, but Wilson had a better TD percentage and rating.

Now that the 2023 season has concluded for the Denver Broncos, we’re going to begin a series of lists of the team’s statistical leaders in major categories such as passing, receiving and rushing. Today, we’re starting with the passing categories.

Of course, Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham were the only players who lined up under center for the Broncos in 2023, so a list of Denver’s passing leaders from this season would be a short one.

Instead, we’re going to compare Wilson’s and Stidham’s stats from the 2023 campaign. Wilson played in 15 games and Stidham only played in two games, so Wilson obviously has more passing yards (3,070 to 496) and passing touchdowns (26 to 2).

In an effort to fairly gauge the numbers adjusted for sample size, we have listed averages instead of season-long totals. For example, Wilson totaled 3,070 passing yards last season, but he averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt. Stidham only totaled 496 passing yards in two games, but he averaged 7.5 yards per passing attempt.

Stidham probably benefits slightly in YPA based on his smaller sample size, but it’s a better comparison than raw passing totals. With that in mind, here’s how the two QBs stacked up in 2023.

Some Broncos players were ‘pissed’ after Russell Wilson was benched

“Just pissed for Russ, a lot of us,” an unnamed player told ESPN after the Broncos benched QB Russell Wilson.

When the Denver Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson two weeks ago, coach Sean Payton claimed it was a football decision, not a financial one. Regardless of what the motivation was, some players in the locker room were upset by the decision.

Here’s part of Jeff Legwold’s recent story on the Wilson situation from ESPN.com:

Players were also left frustrated. When asked about the reaction to the benching decision, one player said, “Pissed for Russ. Just pissed for Russ, a lot of us.”

Another player added, “We just won five in a row. We’re all going to support [backup Jarrett Stidham], but Russ was giving everything he had.”

It’s worth noting that not all of Denver’s players felt that way. Here’s part of Ian Rapoport’s Dec. 31 story on Wilson’s benching from NFL.com:

When players watched film during the week of the past few games, they saw an endless string of open players that Wilson wasn’t finding in time. Sure, the big-time plays in the fourth quarter were there, but finding the open guy in rhythm was an issue. Players saw it, and privately discussed it among themselves, sources say. Some have wondered the last few weeks if Stidham, who Payton signed early in free agency, would be better.

Justin Simmons, a team captain and the longest-tenured Bronco on the team, had a diplomatic reaction to Wilson’s benching.

“Russ has been great for us,” the safety told Legwold. “It’s just unfortunate things don’t work out, sometimes they don’t, it’s not a shot at him as a player, not a shot at him as a person, I just think sometimes things just don’t work out, that’s how it is.”

Payton suggested that switching to Stidham would give the offense a spark, but Denver scored just 16 and 17 points in the final two games of the season. It would be hard to argue that Stidham provided any upgrade over Wilson.

Now the Broncos are expected to release Wilson in March. Stidham’s future with the team is unclear. He’s under contract for 2024 and he aims to start, but Denver could save $5 million in salary cap space if Stidham is cut.

The Broncos could look to free agency for a short-term solution and the NFL draft for a long-term QB (Denver holds the 12th overall pick). Two years after trading for Wilson, the team seems poised to return to the QB market this spring.

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Jarrett Stidham aims to be QB1 for the Broncos in 2024

“I want to be on the field every snap of next year if possible,” Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham said after Sunday’s season finale.

When the Denver Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson two weeks ago, it was likely financially motivated (at least in part). If Wilson suffered a serious injury in the final two games of the season, his $37 million salary in 2025 would become guaranteed.

By benching Wilson, the Broncos removed the risk of injury, although coach Sean Payton claimed it was a football decision. Payton suggested turning to Jarrett Stidham could give the offense a spark to close out the 2023 campaign.

Stidham didn’t provide much of a spark. Denver’s offense scored 16 and 17 points with Stidham leading the way, going 1-1 to close out the year. Stidham completed 60.6% of his passes for 496 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and seven sacks.

Was that enough to convince the Broncos he should be QB1 in 2024?

“Look, I don’t get caught up in that,” Stidham said after the team’s season finale. “They see me every day. They know what I can and can’t do, what I’m capable of. My job is to work as hard as possible, be a good teammate, and do my job. So, that’s not really for me to speak on.”

Payton can speak on Stidham’s future, but the coach didn’t offer any big-picture declarations on Sunday afternoon. Denver will review the film of Stidham — and every player on the team — this week.

“Yeah, you evaluate everything and so practice snaps, training camp, preseason, regular season for all these guys,” Payton said. “But this [game] wasn’t about just trying to get a look at Jarrett, this was about trying to win.”

Stidham is set to have a salary cap hit of $7 million next season. The Broncos would save $5 million if they release him, but his cap hit isn’t outrageous by today’s QB market standards, even for a backup.

Like every QB in the league, Stidham wants to start in 2024.

“I’ve said this before — everybody wants to play, everybody wants to be on the field,” Stidham said on Sunday. “I want to be on the field every snap of next year if possible. But like I said, I’m not really focused too much on that. I’ve said it before, those guys see me every day, they know what I’m capable of. I’m just disappointed I didn’t do more to help those guys in the locker room win today. It’s part of it and I’ll get better.”

Denver is expected to release Wilson in March and the QB room will be in flux going into free agency. The Broncos have to climb out of a salary cap hole this spring, so signing a short-term QB in free agency could prove to be difficult. Denver’s most practical plan might be drafting a QB at No. 12 overall and then developing him behind Stidham in 2024.

For now, though, everything is speculation. Time will tell what Payton and Co. have planned at quarterback for 2024 and beyond.

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Broncos make first quarterback move of 2024 offseason

The Broncos made their first QB move of the 2024 offseason on Monday, signing Ben DiNucci to a reserve/future contract.

The Denver Broncos made their first quarterback move of the offseason on Monday, but it might not be the move fans expected.

Denver signed Ben DiNucci to a reserve/future contract, the third-string quarterback announced on his Twitter/X page on Monday. After spending the 2023 campaign on the Broncos’ practice squad, DiNucci was eligible to sign a reserve/future deal.

DiNucci is now set to officially join the 90-man offseason roster when the new league year begins in March.

Denver is expected to release quarterback Russell Wilson in March, a move that would leave Jarrett Stidham and DiNucci as the team’s only QBs under contract for the 2024 season.

In addition to DiNucci, the Broncos also gave reserve/future contracts to 11 other players on Monday. Practice squad wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith was not among those players and he is not expected to re-sign with Denver, according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.

DiNucci, 27, spent time with the Dallas Cowboys (2020-2021) and in the XFL (2023) before joining the Broncos last May.

5 things to know about new Broncos starting QB Jarrett Stidham

Here are five things to know about new Broncos starting QB Jarrett Stidham.

This week, the Denver Broncos announced the benching of starting quarterback Russell Wilson for the final two games, turning the offense over to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

For those of Broncos Country who do not know Stidham, here are five quick facts about the new Broncos QB ahead of his start against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Broncos will face backup quarterbacks in their final 3 games

After facing Jared Goff and the Lions, the Broncos will wrap up the regular season against Bailey Zappe, Easton Stick and Aidan O’Connell.

If the Denver Broncos are going to make the NFL playoffs, they probably need to win three of their final four games to finish with a 10-7 record.

Coincidentally, the Broncos will finish the regular season with three straight games against backup quarterbacks on their 2023 schedule.

Before getting to those matchups, Denver will face Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions in Week 15, their toughest remaining game (on paper) this season.

After that, the Broncos will host Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve in Week 16. Zappe was a backup for 11 games this season before Mac Jones was benched. He has a 55.4% completion rate, three touchdowns and three interceptions this year and has been sacked nine times.

Next, Denver will host Easton Stick and the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17. Stick took over for the Chargers on Sunday after Justin Herbert suffered a season finger injury. He went 13-of-24 passing against the Broncos for 179 yards with no touchdowns, two sacks and two fumbles.

To wrap up the season, Denver will face the Aidan O’Connell and the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 18. O’Connell was a backup for six games behind Jimmy Garoppolo this year and he got the starting job after Josh McDaniels was fired. O’Connell’s numbers: 63.8% completion rate, four touchdowns, seven interceptions, 17 sacks and four fumbles.

Here’s a quick look at all four the quarterbacks on the Broncos’ remaining schedule along with their Total QBR rating from ESPN (0-100 scale).

Bears to start backup QB Tyson Bagent against Saints in Week 9

The Bears will start backup QB Tyson Bagent against the Saints in Week 9 while Justin Fields recovers from an injury:

The New Orleans Saints are getting a lucky break against the Chicago Bears this Sunday, with the Bears starting that backup quarterback Tyson Bagent will start, not Justin Fields. Head coach Matt Eberflus announced the news in a Monday afternoon appearance on the Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000. Fields has been sidelined by an injury to his throwing hand after dislocating his thumb.

Bagent did enough for the Bears to win his first start two weeks ago, but he was limited to just 232 yards with two interceptions by the Los Angeles Chargers this past Sunday. The former college standout at Division-II Shepherd University has looked the part at times but a strong pass defense like the Saints’ squad should challenge him.

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