Mile High Report
Should the Denver Broncos re-sign quarterback Zach Wilson?
A few days before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos added to their quarterback room by trading for former number two overall pick Zach Wilson. At the time, the Broncos just had Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci on the roster, so Wilson added some much-needed depth and competition to the room. As we know, the Broncos would go on to draft Bo Nix with their 12th overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but Wilson would be part of the conversation moving forward.
The Broncos acquired Zach Wilson for basically nothing. They sent one of their sixth-round selections to the Jets for Wilson and a seventh-round pick while the Jets are also paid a portion of his remaining $5.45 million dollar salary. So, this was a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Broncos who had uncertainty at their quarterback position at that time.
The former number two overall selection was a bust with the Jets and needed a change of scenery. He landed with the Broncos, Sean Payton, and quarterbacks coach David Webb hoping to revitalize his career. While he was part of the Broncos' quarterback competition, he was behind Nix and Stidham throughout the process and spent the season as the Broncos' third-string quarterback. He did flash his talent during the preseason, but ultimately, we did not see much of Wilson this past year. That, however, had to be the plan. Wilson needed a red-shirt year to move on from the damage that was done with the Jets and learn and grow from the Broncos' experienced offensive coaching staff.
Now, he is on the verge of entering free agency as a bit of a wildcard. He has second overall pick pedigree, legit arm talent, and athleticism you look for in a quarterback, and could benefit from a weak quarterback market.
Could Wilson re-sign with the Broncos this offseason and serve as Bo Nix’s backup or will get an opportunity to start elsewhere and move on after just one season with the team?
Both Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are free agents this offseason and the Broncos will probably re-sign one of them to be their backup quarterback. If they want the quarterback with the higher upside, then they likely would prefer to re-sign Wilson.
Zach Wilson has the arm talent and athleticism to be a starter in the league, he just needs development everywhere else. His time with the Jets was a mess and it hindered his development. However, we saw growth and improvement in his play during training camp and preseason after just a few months with the Broncos. I would imagine Wilson would like to stick around and continue to grow, learn, and develop under Sean Payton and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb. He can continue to revitalize his career with the Broncos and hopefully, earn himself a starting job in the future like Sam Darnold,...
