10 options to be Denver Broncos quarterback in 2024 season

Denver Broncos QB option no. 2: Jarrett Stidham

If it's not going to be Russell Wilson for the Denver Broncos in 2024, I think Jarrett Stidham is the next safest bet right now. As a matter of fact, if the Broncos are going to be moving on from Russell Wilson in 2024 at all, I would be willing to bet that Stidham is a primary reason why.

If Wilson struggles in 2023, Stidham is going to get a shot to play. From the sounds of things, head coach Sean Payton really likes Stidham and his projection going forward. The former Auburn star got a chance to play late last season for the Raiders when Josh McDaniels infamously benched Derek Carr. Stidham's first start came against the league's no. 1 defense in San Francisco and he absolutely lit them up.

Stidham has really intriguing overall tools. He's smart. He's mobile. He's got good pocket presence. I, for one, am eager to see how well he can do in training camp and preseason games to prove that he's got the QB1 chops Sean Payton says he does.

"“I think he's young, but I think he's someone that we had a good grade on coming out. We like the player. I think he played well in the two starts he had this year. If you study closely the San Francisco game, he’s smart at the line of scrimmage. There were a couple of directions really with that position and there were a handful of No. 2’s that either I have worked with, or we felt comfortable with. In this case, I think he’s a No. 2 whose arrow is moving in a direction where we feel like he can become an NFL starter in our league. The evaluation was pretty crystal clear for all of us. I think he's someone that's going to be great in the room. He's smart. Quietly, that was an important sign for us."

- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)

So, the Denver Broncos and Sean Payton passed up on other options in free agency that had previously worked with Payton or were guys he was familiar with in order to sign Stidham. That's very significant when you talk about the importance of the backup QB position and really consider the context the Broncos are in.

Sean Payton is in a position where having a backup QB he's familiar with makes all the sense in the world, but he went with the young guy who has upside. As he called him, a no. 2 whose arrow is moving in the "starter" direction.

If not Russell Wilson, my next best guess for the Denver Broncos in 2024 would be Jarrett Stidham.