The Denver Broncos will be entering the new NFL season ready to make some noise in the AFC. Following another year of missing the playoffs, Denver decided it was best to cut ties with aging quarterback Russell Wilson. The team traded for former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson from the New York Jets and they drafted quarterback Bo Nix out of the University of Oregon at No. 12 in the 2024 NFL Draft. Denver also has Jarrett Stidham on the roster after signing him to a two-year deal last offseason.
While Wilson never flashed much of his Pro Bowl prowess during his time with the Broncos, going from him to any of these three options should be seen as a step back for the team. In all likelihood, Nix will be the starting quarterback for the Broncos, unless the organization decides it's better for him to sit and learn for a little to begin his career.
The team is led by head coach Sean Payton, who is regarded as one of the better minds in football. He led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl win in 2009 but has yet to make it back to the big game since. His first season with Denver didn't go as planned, but Payton seems hopeful for his future with the team.
When addressing reporters about the group of quarterbacks on the roster, Payton cooked up an interesting nickname for his quarterback room.
"It's kind of the orphan group, they are all orphan dogs. They've come from somewhere but they are doing good," Payton said, per Dave Althouse of FOX 31 Denver KDVR.
It's an interesting analogy of his quarterbacks and one that doesn't seem great on the surface. None of the quarterbacks seemed to mind as Payton was just being himself with the quote.
Stidham will probably start out as the third-string quarterback for this team and Wilson the backup. Wilson hasn't been able to live up to the hype that surrounded him entering the NFL from his time at BYU, earning him a potential bust label. If he can't succeed in Denver, it may be hard for him to find another job in the league.
Nix has the most promise out of any of them, coming in as a Heisman Trophy finalist last season with the Ducks. Denver is very high on his upside and believes that he could be the franchise quarterback for this team. Denver hasn't had a franchise quarterback since Payton Manning retired years ago so the hope is that Nix can be the savior.
The Broncos will be counting on these "orphan dogs" to really step up this season, otherwise, it will be another year of no postseason action in Denver.