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Broncos could upgrade backup QB position with any of these potential roster cuts

By Travis Wakeman

Jan 9, 2022; East Rutherford, N.J., USA;Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2022; East Rutherford, N.J., USA;Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Broncos have greatly improved their starting quarterback position following an offseason trade for Russell Wilson, but what about the guys behind him?

Russell Wilson is going to be the man for the Broncos so in theory, it doesn’t really matter who the backup quarterback is because that player is never going to play. But that’s a poor way of thinking.

In the NFL, teams only get a 53-man roster but no team goes through an entire season with only 53 guys. Injuries happen and in the post-COVID-19 world, players can be forced to miss games at a moment’s notice.

The Broncos don’t exactly have the best situation at the backup position, with Brett Rypien and Josh Jackson battling for the No. 2 spot. Rypien has mainly been a practice squad guy for the team while Johnson, who was signed this offseason, has played for more teams than anyone in NFL history.

There’s a reason for that.

General manager George Paton will do his due diligence in scouring the waiver wire after final roster cuts are made and there is a chance a better fit could come to him at quarterback. Here are a few guys who could be cut that the Broncos could consider over both Rypien and Johnson.

Quarterbacks for Broncos to consider if they are cut: Nick Mullens, Las Vegas Raiders

Denver Broncos
HENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 24: Quarterback Nick Mullens #9 of the Las Vegas Raiders practices during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 24, 2022, in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Nick Mullens is now with his fourth NFL team, signed this offseason by the Las Vegas Raiders who need a new backup quarterback now that Marcus Mariota is no longer there.

The Raiders signed Mullens in early April but if they were completely satisfied with him as the backup, they likely wouldn’t have made a trade with the New England Patriots to acquire Jarrett Stidham. New head coach Josh McDaniels is also familiar with Stidham so he could easily win the backup job.

If Mullens were to be waived, he would be a big upgrade over Johnson and Rypien. He has made 17 starts in his career. He has thrown 26 touchdown passes in his career and has an overall quarterback rating of 87.2.

He’s a backup quarterback at the professional level, but one of the better ones out there.

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