The Denver Broncos unveiled their new uniforms with a two-minute hype video. We’re excited!
The Denver Broncos became the latest team to release their new uniform set for the 2024 NFL season and beyond on Monday.
The team used a two-minute hype video to show off the new threads. The video highlighted Colorado’s Rocky Mountain region, the blue-collar work ethic of the people of the state and the wild, raw power of the Bronco.
The video culminates with several players modeling the three new jersey patterns: the orange home jersey, the white away jersey and the navy blue alternate jersey. The video cuts off with a pair of cleats and throwback socks walking onto the stage. The team also put out a second video to commemorate the 1977-themed throwback uniform.
Zach Wilson trade: Looking back on Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence’s QB class
Eight quarterbacks were selected in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL draft, a record that has held up over the two selection ceremonies since.
Following Zach Wilson’s reported trade from New York, who took the former Brigham Young passer with the No. 2 pick that year, to Denver on Monday, just three of those signal-callers remain with their original squads.
Of those three, only one actively starts for their team and is on a path toward a long-term contract extension: Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence.
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Apr 29, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft at First Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Additionally, Kyle Trask, the No. 64 overall pick in the second round, is still with Tampa Bay, and Davis Mills, the No. 67 selection in the third round, remains on Houston’s roster.
Mills started 26 games over his first two seasons but was replaced by eventual AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud, in 2023. Trask has appeared in just three career contests and backs Baker Mayfield up on the Buccaneers’ depth chart.
Wilson’s exit from the Big Apple marks the fourth instance of teams abandoning their 2021 quarterback of choice in the last eight months.
Since August, San Francisco has traded Trey Lance (No. 3 overall) to Dallas, Chicago has traded Justin Fields (No. 11) to Pittsburgh, and New England has traded Mac Jones (No. 15) to Jacksonville, each in exchange for Day 3 picks. The Jets and Broncos swapped late-round picks in Wilson’s trade.
Mond (No. 66) was waived by Minnesota in 2022.
Meanwhile, Lawrence enters his fourth season with Jacksonville in 2024, having started every game in which he’s been available along the way, making him the lone first-round quarterback from 2021 who continues to play for his drafted team.
Although the most recent campaign had a disappointing finish with the Jaguars falling out of playoff contention in Week 18, the club completed its first set of consecutive winning seasons since 2004-05 with Lawrence under center in 2023. It went 9-8 in back-to-back years.
Accordingly, Jacksonville’s front office — a contingent including general manager Trent Baalke, head coach Doug Pederson and owner Shad Khan — has engaged in discussions about a contract extension with Lawrence and his representatives this offseason.
“I’d love to obviously be a Jag, for as long as possible,” Lawrence said on April 16. “We love it here and I love where we’re headed as an organization and feel like I’m just getting better every year. My best ball is definitely ahead of me.”
In 50 regular season games with the Jaguars, Lawrence has completed 63.8% of his passing attempts for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He’s added 964 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
For fun but meaningless comparison, the seven other passers drafted through the third round in 2021 have combined for 28,665 passing yards, 149 passing touchdowns and 119 interceptions in 162 appearances.
First, they unveiled a set of new uniforms that make a three-time Super Bowl champion look like a lesser Mountain West program. Then, they went out and traded for Zach Wilson, a quarterback whose three seasons with the New York Jets portray him as the kind of player solely capable of making teams worse.
Granted, Wilson wasn’t an expensive addition. Acquiring him only cost a swap of late round draft picks and included the caveat New York pay a meaningful chunk of his $5.5 million salary. But barring a massive and unexpected turnaround, it won’t solve any of the Broncos problems.
Denver heads into 2024 staring down a potential disaster behind center. 2023 starter Russell Wilson was released despite a historic salary cap penalty for embodying too many weird Russell Wilson qualities and not enough of the good ones.
Returning to the fold is Jarrett Stidham, who has more seasons in the NFL (five) than starts (four) and a career passer rating of 78.3 (Brock Osweiler’s, for comparison, is 78.0). Next up is Wilson, who played three years in New York and ranked among the Jets’ top three quarterbacks in just one of those years (his competition was Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian). The obvious solution here is adding a promising rookie at the draft.
That’s going to be a rough sled. The Broncos could trade their way into the top tier of quarterback prospects but, whoops, maybe they can’t.
Their second round pick belongs to the New Orleans Saints as compensation for hiring Sean Payton. The cost to rise from 12th to the top three was already going to be prohibitive. It’ll take even more of an overpay without an immediate top 50 pick to throw in as a sweetener. Even then, they’d likely be bidding against the Minnesota Vikings (two first round picks in 2024, including the 11th overall) and other needy teams.
The most likely situation is either Denver stands pat at No. 12 and adds a passer there, or trades back to address other needs (there are several) and slides to a place where it’s a little more logical to take a non-top-four QB. Either way, the best rookie for which the Broncos can hope is probably either Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr..
Which means their training camp quarterback room would look like this:
Jarrett Stidham (incumbent starter, somehow)
Zach Wilson
Ben Dinucci
Bo Nix/Michael Penix Jr./Rookie QB X
the smoking crater Russell Wilson’s $35.4 million in dead salary cap space left behind
Gross! There are other iffy situations across the league. The New England Patriots currently have Bailey Zappe, Jacoby Brissett and Nathan Rourke under contract. The Washington Commanders have Marcus Mariota, Jake Fromm and Jeff Driskel. The Vikings are desperate enough for competence that they staked a $10 million bet on Sam by-god Darnold.
But each of those teams has the draft assets to at least instill some legitimate hope for 2024 and beyond. The Broncos are in worse shape. Adding Zach Wilson is a sensible move from an operational standpoint. But in terms of vibes, it’s just another punchline for a team that’s been laughed at since Peyton Manning retired.
But what if they go even higher? What if the New England Patriots have the ability to trade out of the No. 3 spot and the Broncos pounce? That’s what we see in the latest mock from PFF, with the Broncos getting Jayden Daniels:
With many quarterback-needy teams potentially looking to move up to secure a signal-caller, Denver could get aggressive here. Daniels has the sound mechanics and touch to attack all levels of the field in Sean Payton’s offense, as well as the out-of-structure ability to take the system to the next level the Broncos had hoped for when acquiring Russell Wilson.
As a football player, he dominated the trenches en route to a Hall of Fame career. Apparently, he can dominate the microphone, too.
Ware recently appeared on the hit TV show “The Masked Singer” and performed as “Koala.” Ware performed the 1980’s song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.
Everyone was surprised when Ware revealed he was behind the mask.
“It was awesome,” Ware said. “All my life I’ve always wore a mask, but I sacked quarterbacks doing that. And now I put on the koala mask and no one knew who I was, and so the personality of me actually came out. I got to have fun.”
Ware previously sang the national anthem before the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game in 2023. Check out the reveal below of Ware unmasking himself:
In Bill Barnwell’s trade-filled mock draft, he floats the idea of the Rams trading two first-rounders for Broncos CB Pat Surtain II
If there’s a team that could swing a big trade for a proven veteran before or during the NFL draft this year, it’s the Los Angeles Rams. They’ve done it before, landing players such as Brandin Cooks, Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford for first-round picks during Sean McVay’s tenure.
There are no indications they’ll make such a blockbuster move in the next week, but nothing can ever be ruled out with Les Snead and McVay.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has one potential target for the Rams to consider, however. That player is Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II. In Barnwell’s annual mock draft where he comes up with a trade for each team in Round 1, he pitched the idea of the Rams acquiring Surtain in a massive deal with the Broncos.
Barnwell isn’t suggesting the Rams will make such a move and he has no inside information, but he’s simply sharing a trade that “might make sense,” as he put it.
There aren’t many players who are simultaneously playing at that level and for a team that’s rebuilding.
The Broncos might be the lone exception, which is why a Surtain deal would be plausible. The Rams already showed they were willing to spend this much for a complete cornerback when they acquired Ramsey in 2019, and Surtain might be the former Jags star’s successor as the league’s best player at the position. Surtain is excellent in coverage on the outside and in the slot, capable of shadowing the opposing team’s top wide receiver, and is physical enough to hold his own as a tackler. He just turned 24 on Sunday and will make a combined $23.3 million over the next two years with his fifth-year option, giving L.A. plenty of runway as it negotiates a new extension with him.
If the Rams were going to make such a significant move at cornerback this offseason, it likely would’ve come before they signed both Darious Williams and Tre’Davious White. While neither cornerback should prevent the Rams from acquiring a young cornerback, particularly one of Surtain’s caliber, those signings do make it less likely for a trade like this one to happen.
There are no indications the Broncos want to trade Surtain, who’s their best player on the roster, but as Barnwell notes, they’re rebuilding and could use as many assets as they can get – especially if they want to move up for a quarterback in this year’s draft.
As unlikely as this trade is to happen, it’s fun to think about the Rams acquiring yet another young star, even if it rids fans of seeing them make a first-round pick for another two years.
Courtland Sutton might be the answer to the Steelers’ wide receiver problems.
As of now, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have multiple positions of need, including a starting wide receiver and starting center. Pittsburgh hasn’t shown much interest in any centers but the front office has been very active when it comes to wide receivers.
With the news that Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton isn’t attending workouts, it got us thinking about how great he would fit if the Steelers traded for him.
Sutton spent the last two seasons catching passes from new Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and was one of his favorite targets. Sutton caught 10 touchdown passes last season and still has plenty of game left in him to start opposite George Pickens.
#Broncos WR Courtland Sutton did not report Monday for voluntary workouts as he seeks a new contract, per source.
Sutton is going on his 10th starting QB in seven seasons and has only $2 million guaranteed left on his deal. He had 10 TDs in 2023 while ranking 56th in targets. pic.twitter.com/93rA35XdM4
The Steelers signed Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency after trading away Diontae Johnson, but none of them inspire confidence for the present, much less the future.
The Vikings face an uphill battle to trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Minnesota Vikings are just one of many teams looking to fix their franchise’s biggest problem, quarterback, in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots control the first three picks and have their choice of whichever of the big four in this class fall their way. Caleb Williams is etched in stone at this point to be a Bear. After that, it is anyone’s guess as to where everyone ends up.
The ultimate controllers of chaos in this situation are the Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 4 overall pick. Both teams are seen as having quarterback situations — a bridge solution for the Patriots and a franchise starter in Arizona — that allow flexibility. That flexibility will come as a potential trade back with someone looking to solve their problem.
We mentioned the teams at the top of the draft, but their teams are on the outside looking in: the Denver Broncos and, of course, the Vikings. For the Vikings specifically, they have made it a point to have several options regardless of how the draw unfolds 10 days from today.
At last week’s pre-draft press conference, Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked: Is there a world where you don’t draft or trade up for a quarterback? Adofo-Mensah gave a very honest answer.
LIVE: General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talks to the media ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft https://t.co/saWPovYlsE
“You have to be ready for everything; it’s a very deep class,” he said. “But I do think you have to be ready for every scenario. If there are elite players at premium positions on the board, I don’t think you’re supposed to reach or force or anything like that. It’s just not what I believe, all the while understanding that quarterback is the most important position in the sport. So, it’s calculating both those things at the same time.”
The Vikings clearly need to trade up for a quarterback. Adofo-Mensah is in a unique situation, though, and he is well aware of that. The team will have to give up significant draft capital if they move up. They have the 11th and 23rd overall picks to start the draft; after that, their capital dwindles. They must dip into 2025’s group of picks to complete any trade.
Will Adofo-Mensah be willing to do that? His draft history during his tenure with the Vikings has its fair share of hits, but the misses have piled up. Trading up for what is perceived as a “sure thing” will be enticing. What can’t and won’t be forgotten is in the NFL there is nothing close to a sure thing.
Does Antonio Brown have a scoop on the Steelers’ next signing?
Take this for what it’s worth, but former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown says a deal will be done soon to bring safety Justin Simmons to Pittsburgh. Keep in mind that Brown did first have the news that the Texans were trading for wide receiver Stefon Diggs and also predicted the Steelers would sign Russell Wilson.
Simmons is 30 years old and a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a second-team All-Pro four times. He’s remained in the conversation of the top safeties in the AFC.
Simmons had a career-high 97 tackles in 2018 and a career-high six interceptions in 2022. The Steelers signed free agent DeShon Elliott this offseason but Simmons is certainly an upgrade. Simmons and Minkah Fitzpatrick would instantly form one of the most talented safety tandems in the NFL.
Ndubuisi hopes to follow Obada’s lead to a long NFL career.
Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi met with the press Thursday, his first time since being signed by the Washington Commanders Wednesday.
Ndubuisi comes to the Commanders as a result of being part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
For those wondering, no, the signing of Ndubuisi does not unfairly eliminate a roster spot for another potential future player for the Commanders. This is because, beginning this season, each of the 32 NFL clubs is eligible to fill a 91st roster spot entering training camp and a 17th roster spot on its practice squad reserved for an international player.
The 23-year-old from Nigeria is a defensive lineman who stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 298 pounds. He spent last season with the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.
“I see this as an opportunity to keep living the dream, keep getting better and trying to achieve what the goal is, trying to be the best player. I feel like as each day passes I get to know, learn. It’s a learning process for me.”
When asked what he is trying to achieve, Ndubuisi responded, “To be better than I was like previously. (I am) just trying to do the best, and just do my job. At the end of the day it’s all about doing my job.”
Ndubuisi volunteered that the coaches are very encouraging to him, he feels at home and welcomed.
Efe Obada was born in Nigeria and raised in the Netherlands and England. He was the first player to go straight from a European football league to the NFL and has had some success as a pass rusher for the Commanders.
“He’s like a role model for us because he happened to show us, prove to us that yes, it’s possible by putting more hard work and trying to (make an) impact in doing his job. I feel like if he could do it there’s nothing stopping us from doing the same.”
“I grew up playing soccer and basketball, but football for me was something I got introduced to later. I was putting hope in basketball and my first-ever video about football was greatest hits in football. I was amazed about it, and it was just so exciting.”
As a result, Ndubuisi began watching more football videos on Youtube, which furthered his interest in the sport and then led to him wanting to learn how to play it. He spoke of watching some videos and then going outside to practice what he had observed.
Ndubuisi gained his first experience in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. He was then trying to make the team as an offensive lineman, but after appearing in one preseason game, he was released.
