As the NFL trade deadline looms just one month away on Nov. 5, the Denver Broncos seem like they’ll have to at least field offers for a player who has become one of the league’s buzziest trade commodities — third-string quarterback Zach Wilson.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox placed Wilson at No. 8 in his latest rankings of NFL trade targets on Oct. 2, listing the Los Angeles Rams as the top possible trade destination for Wilson, who was the No. 2 overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL draft.
“While Wilson hasn’t played at a high level in the NFL, he has started 33 games,” Knox wrote. “This makes him a better potential bridge/spot-starter than Young. He’s also just 25 years old, which gives him more long-term value than Russell Wilson … Still, Zach Wilson could be an option for multiple teams, regardless of whether they’re seeking a short-or long-term solution. The Rams, as mentioned, could take a flier on a young quarterback as they work out a succession plan behind (Matthew) Stafford.”
Rams Part of Earlier Trade Rumors for Wilson
On Sept. 20, ESPN’s Dan Graziano listed Wilson among his top candidates to be on the move via trade by the deadline and had the Rams as Wilson’s top possible landing spot.
“With (Jimmy) Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett behind (Matthew) Stafford on the depth chart, the Rams lack a high-ceiling developmental quarterback,” Graziano wrote. “You can question whether Wilson is that, but if coach Sean McVay were to think he could work with Wilson’s game, who knows?”
Wilson has yet to be put on the active roster but has been the emergency third quarterback for the Broncos through their first 4 games.
Trade Could Make Wilson Investment Pay Off
The Broncos received Wilson and a 7th round pick from the New York Jets in exchange for a 6th round pick in April 2024 — getting a 6th round pick back from the Rams or another QB-needy team would have to be looked at as a win.
Wilson opened training camp as one of three quarterbacks in the running for the starting spot but quickly got put behind rookie Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham, with Nix ultimately becoming the first rookie starting quarterback to open the season for the Broncos since Pro Football Hall of Famer and 2-time Super Bowl champion John Elway in 1983.
If Wilson does have trade value moving forward, he needs to get the lion’s share of the credit because he did so by playing so well in the preseason.
The Broncos finished the preseason 3-0 and Wilson played all but one possession against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason finale. Against the Cardinals, Wilson finished 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions to go with 22 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
The Rams have already brought one seemingly dead NFL career back to life in recent years after Baker Mayfield spent the final part of the 2022 season in Los Angeles.
Mayfield impressed enough in his short time with the Rams that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him to a 1-year, $4 million contract to be the starter in 2023 after Tom Brady’s second retirement. Mayfield responded with the best year of his career, made his first Pro Bowl and ended up signing a 3-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers in March 2024.
