The Denver Broncos found their long-term answer at quarterback in 2024 with rookie Bo Nix. The former Oregon and Auburn product led the Broncos to their first playoff berth since winning the Super Bowl in 2015 and is seemingly going to be the pairing with head coach Sean Payton for the foreseeable future.
Outside of Nix, however, the Broncos quarterback room is in major flux. The team carried two notable backups in 2024, with Jarrett Stidham serving as the primary backup and Zach Wilson being a third quarterback who was not usually active for the team. He typically served as the emergency third quarterback and was inactive on game days. Most importantly, both are pending free agents and will be two of the more sought-after backups on the open market.
Broncos need a backup QB for Bo Nix in 2025 offseason
Stidham has now spent a pair of seasons under Sean Payton and has made it into 19 NFL games. He is steady and can make the simple throws, and his time under Sean Payton would probably make it easier for him to understand a variety of complicated NFL offenses.
As for Wilson, the former second overall pick is still fairly young at just 25 and should have several suitors. In recent years in the NFL, the growing trend among quarterbacks has been younger arms sitting behind others and under a strong offensive head coach for a few years before getting a starting job elsewhere. Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, and Jimmy Garoppolo are all examples of quarterbacks who have sat under veteran quarterbacks and/or coaches and gone on to have strong tenures as starters.
Wilson could be in for the same treatment from an NFL team these next few years. At the same time, sitting another year under Sean Payton could be an appealing option for the young quarterback and could lead him back to the Broncos.
The free agent market figures to be deep with backup quarterbacks this year. The free agent class lacks legitimate starters but is rich with strong backups. For a backup NFL quarterback, a lack of change can often be the best-case scenario. Stidham and Wilson might not want to leave Denver, which could lead to the Broncos having an identical quarterback room in 2025.
If the Broncos find themselves in need of a quarterback, the type that fits their current QB mold could include Mason Rudolph, Marcus Mariota, Cooper Rush, Taylor Heinicke, Desmond Ridder, and a few others. Finding a backup won't be an issue for Denver, but a strong backup as insurance for a possible sophomore slump from Bo Nix could be a high priority this spring. Of note, the Broncos might have the finances to spend to bring in a high-end backup, as their cap situation is in a great spot heading into 2025.