Are the Denver Broncos actually a quarterback away for 2022?
The past 2 seasons saw quarterbacks in their first year with a new team win a Super Bowl. Can the Denver Broncos be the next team to do this?
Super Bowl 56 was won by the Los Angeles Rams in their first year with Matthew Stafford under center. Super Bowl 55 was won by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their first year with Tom Brady under center.
Can the idea of a team being a quarterback away be valid for the Denver Broncos? I think so.
Back before the 2018 season, then free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins was making a tough free agent decision. After being tagged by the then Washington Redskins, Cousins hit the free agent market, free to sign with a team of his choosing.
In 2017, the Minnesota Vikings made a deep playoff run with Case Keenum under center; they made the NFC Championship game. They were blown out by the Eagles, and many across the league thought that a simple quarterback upgrade would push them over the edge.
It’s logical thinking. The quarterback is the most important position in sports, finding more efficient play at the position would lead to more team success, right?
Well, since then, the Vikings/Kirk Cousins marriage has not yielded the results that they thought, effectively ending the “a quarterback away” line.
In 2020 and 2021, the two Super Bowl-winning teams won the big game by making a significant quarterback upgrade the season prior.
The Buccaneers upgraded from Jameis Winston to Tom Brady, and the Rams upgraded from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford. The difference in quarterback play was astounding and should give the Denver Broncos hope if they land a veteran.
In 2021, Denver started Teddy Bridgewater a majority of the season. The skill gap between Teddy Bridgewater and Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers is just as big as the skill gap between the Bucs’ and Rams’ upgrades.
The Denver Broncos also have a great roster, on both sides of the ball, and this opinion is held by many in the national media landscape.
Denver had the 3rd best scoring defense this season and boasted a massively talented offense.
Some Broncos fans who read this may disagree, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable, but there are 2 recent examples that prove that teams can be a quarterback away.
Denver also has roughly $40 million in cap space, and more draft picks than normal to further enhance the roster.
Is it possible that Denver trades for Aaron Rodgers, but never wins a Super Bowl with him? Yes, but seeing what two other quarterbacks have done the past two seasons makes me believe that teams can indeed be a quarterback away.