ENGLEWOOD, Colo — No later than March 17, the fifth day of the NFL’s new year, the Denver Broncos and quarterback Russell Wilson are expected to part ways.
That would leave Jarrett Stidham as the only quarterback returning from Denver’s 53-man roster. (Ben DiNucci returns from the practice squad.) Stidham started the final two games of this past season and for now is the Broncos’ starting quarterback in 2024.
But with only four starts through his first five NFL seasons, Stidham is expected to receive competition. The Broncos will pick up a quarterback either through free agency/trade or the NFL Draft or both. Free agency is where the Broncos will have the most control. It’s also a place where several quarterbacks made late-season pushes to make the crop a little more appealing heading into the offseason.
General manager George Paton says he knows what kind of quarterback to present to head coach Sean Payton for inspection.
“I do,'' Paton said at his season-ending press conference earlier this month. "Quarterback is a little different, but I do know what Sean is looking for in a quarterback. We’ll see.”
It should be noted this offseason's free-agent quarterbacks class will not include Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Nor will Patrick Mahomes II, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud or Lamar Jackson be available.
With the starting-caliber, first-year quarterbacks expected to be gone by the time the Broncos use their No. 12 overall draft pick, here is a list of 9 free-agent quarterbacks whom the Broncos may or may not consider (with their 2023 statistics):
Baker Mayfield
Tampa Bay, 4,044 yards; 28 TD, 10 INT
Remove the financial repercussions from the Russell Wilson dead-cap hit and Mayfield would be the Broncos’ most logical No. 1 choice. His ability to process quickly and accurately throw timing routes makes him an ideal match with Sean Payton’s offense.
Problem is the Broncos do have cap issues and Mayfield just played his way from a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal (he wound up making $6.85 million with incentives) to perhaps a new three-year, $75 million to $100 million contract.
The prevailing thinking is Mayfield will re-up with the Bucs before he reaches free agency. But if Tampa Bay can’t re-sign receiver Mike Evans after it just lost offensive coordinator Dave Canales to Carolina, perhaps Mayfield will keep his options open. Still, what the Broncos need in 2024 is the Mayfield of 2023 – a veteran quarterback at a discount who resurrects his career and outperforms his contract.
Mason Rudolph
Pittsburgh, 719 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
After an injury to 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett was followed by an ineffective Mitch Trubisky, Rudolph got a chance to redeem what had been a disappointing career – and he delivered. Rudolph went 3-0 in the Steelers’ final three games to carry them to the playoffs, then played OK in a first-round playoff loss at Buffalo.
Rudolph played on a one-year minimum, $1.08 million contract last season. He could be viewed as a quarterback on the rise (he turns 29 in July) who can also fit any budget.
Kirk Cousins
Minnesota, 2,331 yards; 18 TD, 5 INT
The most accomplished and top-rated free-agent quarterback. However, as such, Cousins won’t be anywhere near the Broncos’ price range. In the past six seasons, he’s received three contracts from the Vikings worth $185 million – with every dollar of that $185 million fully guaranteed at signing. So even after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in week 8 this past season, Cousins figures to get a fully guaranteed contract worth north of $30 million a year.
And after the Vikings fell apart without him, they figure to be aggressive in trying to re-sign Cousins before he can hit the market.
Ryan Tannehill
Tennessee, 1,616 yards, 4 TD, 7 INT
From the second half of 2019 through the 2021 regular season, Tannehill was one of the league’s top 7 or 8 quarterbacks. But he hasn’t been the same since his three interception playoff loss performance against the Bengals to cap 2021.
A chronic ankle injury has limited his playing time the past two seasons and he’s been turnover prone when he has played. Tannehill will turn 36 by the start of training camp so this is not a quarterback who is trending in the right direction.
But Mayfield was coming off two rough seasons in 2021-’22 before he regained form in Tampa. To find a quarterback who is experienced, affordable and capable, the Broncos must start with someone who is not on top of his game. Tannehill is there.
Gardner Minshew
Indianapolis, 3,305 yards; 15 TD, 9 INT
A rookie cult hero with Jacksonville in 2019, Minshew suffered a sophomore slump in 2020 and became a seldom-played backup in Philadelphia in 2021-2022. After signing a one-year, $3.5 million contract (he earned another $2 million by hitting play time incentives) to become the Colts’ backup QB in 2023, Minshew wound up starting in place of injured rookie Anthony Richardson the final 13 games. Minshew played surprisingly well, compiling a 7-6 record to nearly lead the Colts to the playoffs.
He could be an ideal candidate to compete with Stidham for the Broncos’ starting job. Then again, he may want to stay in Indy where he can keep the QB seat warm until Richardson fully recovers from his right shoulder injury.
Sam Darnold
San Francisco, 297 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Started the regular-season finale after the 49ers had already clinched the No. 1 NFC playoff seed. Darnold did OK while playing with fellow backups in a 21-20 loss to the Rams. A high-end skill set that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Darnold was too turnover-prone to reach his potential.
Still, Payton may see a talent he can mold.
Jameis Winston
New Orleans, 264 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
The Jameis Winston entering 2024 is not the same Jameis Winston who entered the 2020 season, when Payton signed him as a backup to Drew Brees.
Winston entering 2020 was 26 and coming off a 5,109-yard, 33 touchdown, but 30 interception and 7-9 season in Tampa Bay. After Winston mostly watched Brees and Taysom Hill during the COVID 2020 year, he was Payton’s season-opening starter in 2021. Winston went 5-2 with 14 touchdown passes against just 3 interceptions, but his comeback season ended with an ACL injury suffered from a horse collar tackle by Tampa’s Devin White.
Winston has only started three games since. Two years of inactivity is a long time for a now 30-year-old quarterback but again, the price will be right and after Payton salvaged Winston’s career once he may want to finish the job.
Drew Lock, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian, Brandon Allen
The group of former Bronco quarterbacks had their moments in 2023 – especially Flacco who enjoyed a career renaissance at age 39 for the Browns. And while Lock may be a prototypical tweener between top-end backup and back-end starter, it would be a big surprise if the Broncos ran it back with any of their former starting quarterbacks.
Jacoby Brissett
Washington, 224 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
He's received a chance to start here and there, including 2022 with the Browns. But he's been with four teams the previous four seasons and free agency will likely bring him a fifth. Still, he played well in minimal duty as Sam Howell's backup last season.
Update: This list initially included the Bengals' Jake Browning but he is an exclusive rights free agent, not an unrestricted free agent and therefore should not be on this list. Brissett was added instead.
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