10 options to be Denver Broncos quarterback in 2024 season

Nobody knows what the future holds, but I think everyone in Broncos Country hopes they know what it holds regarding the quarterback position. The Denver Broncos are obviously entering the 2023 season with renewed expectations now that Sean Payton is in the building, and part of the high expectations around Payton include the potential of turning around Russell Wilson.

The Broncos acquired Russell Wilson in a blockbuster trade in 2022, but he was not the guy we've all seen with the Seattle Seahawks over his first 10 NFL seasons. It was the worst Wilson has ever played, which has raised questions about the future of the position for the Denver Broncos yet again.

Will Russell Wilson be the quarterback of this Broncos team in 2024? Will it be someone else? I want to explore a wide variety of options out there and what direction the Denver Broncos could go. Let's take a look at 10 options to be this team's QB in 2024, starting with the most likely/obvious candidates.

Most likely quarterback options for the Denver Broncos in 2024

1. Russell Wilson

I think when projecting who could be the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback in 2024, you really have to start with the most obvious option, and it's the guy who currently holds the title. Not to mention, it would cost the Broncos a lot to move on from Russell Wilson in terms of dead cap.

Wilson received a five-year deal worth almost $243 million in total money from the Denver Broncos, $161 million in guarantees, and that contract doesn't technically even "kick in" until 2024. Yes, Russell Wilson received a lot of guaranteed cash at signing -- $124 million in guarantees and a $50 million signing bonus, to be exact.

If the Broncos were forced to move on from Russell Wilson in 2024, it would cost them $35.4 million in dead money in 2024 and $49.6 million in dead money in 2025. In other words, it would be crippling in terms of the salary cap. It would be beneficial, to say the least, for Russell Wilson to bounce back in 2023 and have a strong year so the Broncos don't have to worry about it.

Even though on-field performance -- more than anything -- will dictate whether or not Russell Wilson is the Broncos' QB in 2024, the financial side of things certainly makes a huge impact. But the Broncos will do what needs to be done if Wilson repeats his dreadful 2022 level of play.

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.

Denver Broncos QB option no. 3: Kirk Cousins

The natural progression in this particular discussion, after you've looked at in-house candidates, is to turn to NFL free agency. The top free agent quarterback currently poised to be available in 2024 is Minnesota Vikings starter Kirk Cousins.

I'm not sure Broncos Country could stomach another "Kirk Cousins Watch", even six years removed from the 2018 saga.

Back in 2018, Cousins was slated to hit free agency and there were substantial rumors that he would be interested in coming to Denver to fill the Broncos' QB vacancy. Although there were expected to be a number of teams interested in acquiring him including the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings, it felt like the Broncos had the best chances of landing him due to the fact that they had just won the Super Bowl a couple of years prior.

After the Jaguars decided to go with Blake Bortles, it seemed like the waters had parted and the path for Cousins to come to Denver was clear. The Vikings had just made it to the playoffs with Cardiac Case Keenum and they were expected to offer him a deal to stay.

Unfortunately for Broncos fans, the hope of having Cousins come to Denver was dashed rather quickly in free agency as he chose the Vikings and the Broncos pivoted quickly to Case Keenum.

Good times.

Kirk Cousins has been a really solid player for the Vikings since signing there, and he's certainly been one of the most lucrative QBs in the league over the last decade. By the end of the 2023 season, Cousins will have made over $230 million in total money since 2012 when he was selected in the fourth round by Washington.

And as a free agent in 2024, he stands to make even more. When all is said and done, it would be shocking if Cousins ended his career with less than $300 million in career earnings. Would the Broncos be the ones to pay him the big bucks? That would be extremely difficult with Russell Wilson's deal on the books, but not impossible, either.

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 4: Jameis Winston

When Sean Payton says that he had the chance to potentially go and get some quarterbacks that he's worked with or is familiar with, you've got to think that Jameis Winston is one of the guys he was talking about.

As the time for Drew Brees' retirement drew near in New Orleans, the Saints began work on finding options for the future beyond Brees, and Winston was the guy they brought in as the heir apparent. It was one of just a number of roads Sean Payton and his staff could have gone down that year (2020), but to Payton, it was enticing to have a relatively recent former no. 1 overall pick in the fold.

Winston, of course, was the top pick of the 2015 NFL Draft and had just finished his rookie deal with Tampa Bay at the time. By the time the 2021 season had rolled around, Drew Brees was retired and the Saints moved on to Jameis. Winston was on pace for 50 touchdown passes through the first seven games of the season before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.

That ACL injury derailed potentially the best year of Winston's career and certainly his most efficient year yet.

Winston is once again a free agent in 2024, and could be an option for the Denver Broncos if they have to turn away from Russell Wilson after the season.

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 5: Kyler Murray

Alright, don't come at me in the comments too quickly on this one. Hear me out. The Denver Broncos in 2024 may actually be one team uniquely positioned to trade for Kyler Murray and make it work for the Arizona Cardinals.

Murray is recovering from a major knee injury in 2022. He is expected to at least miss some -- if not all -- of the 2023 NFL season. If that's the case, and perhaps even if it's not, the Arizona Cardinals could be one of the worst teams in the NFL. In fact, I would argue right now that they have -- by far -- the worst roster in the league.

Getting a top two pick in this year's draft would equal Drake Maye of North Carolina or Caleb Williams of USC, in all likelihood, which would mean the Cardinals could reasonably move on from Kyler Murray for the right price. Murray has a base salary of $37 million in 2024, which means the Broncos (or any acquiring team) would have to clear plenty of space, which is not impossible to do.

It may not be exactly the way the team wants to allocate a large chunk of the salary cap pie, but if you can get a long-term asset like Murray (in the event Russell Wilson struggles again), then it might be worth it. Beyond 2024, Murray has base salaries of $18 million in 2025, $22.835 million in 2026, and $19.5 million in 2027. Those base salaries are extremely team-friendly and even considering his bonuses and incentives, Murray's deal is not unreasonable given the amount of cash the Cardinals will be on the hook for.

This is certainly a longshot possibility given the fact there will likely be teams with more cap space in the market to acquire Murray should he become available, but the Cardinals might look to get Murray out of the NFC altogether and if they are planning on drafting a Maye or Williams, they might even give Murray the chance to shop himself around.

In which case, I think Sean Payton could make a compelling case for his offense in Denver.

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 6: Trey Lance

If Sean Payton was intrigued by the idea of Jameis Winston in 2020 as a former top draft pick with talent and upside, then would the same logic not apply to Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers? Obviously, the future of Trey Lance feels more in limbo now than it did back in the Spring when trade rumors really started to ramp up a bit.

The 49ers appear to have found a QB of the future in Brock Purdy, but the status of his health at this point in time is a question mark. That's why the 49ers signed former third overall pick Sam Darnold and that's likely a major reason why Darnold chose the 49ers over likely a variety of other opportunities to be someone's reclamation project.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lance ends up the QB3 of the 49ers by the time the season starts and in that case, I think you can really rev up the trade rumor engine into high gear. And also in that case, I think the price to acquire Lance would plummet. His value, at least from my seat, is already pretty well shot.

We're talking about a guy who hasn't played a significant stretch of meaningful football since 2019, his redshirt freshman year at North Dakota State. Now, that was a very good year for Lance. It's what got him picked third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. But at the same time, there's only so long you can hold out on a guy's "potential".

I think the Denver Broncos would be a great landing spot for Trey Lance in 2024, almost regardless of what happens with Russell Wilson. Let's say Russ has a decent year in 2023 but not a great or even very good year. The Broncos decide to roll with him again in 2024 but also keep their options open.

I could see a scenario where adding Lance next offseason would make a ton of sense. He is a dynamic dual-threat player at the position, and we've seen what Sean Payton can do with athletes at the QB position in the past. The 2024 season will also be a contract year for Trey Lance, so you could take him on for a year, re-sign him at the end of the season, and try to give him a shot as a reclamation project.

Again, all of this is null and void if Lance goes out and earns the starting job for the 49ers in 2023 and balls out. That seems unlikely at this point, but you never know. If he becomes available, I could see Trey Lance being a very intriguing potential addition for Sean Payton.

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 7: Caleb Williams, USC

I just want to put it out there that the only reason Caleb Williams is being included on this list is because in any situation, there's always a non-zero chance of something happening. But I would put it about as close to 0 as it gets here. In order to land the USC superstar, the Denver Broncos would have to own or trade for the number one overall pick.

Teams that would land the no. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft that would be willing to trade it away? Well, that number is probably non-existent.

It's extremely annoying to constantly have guys be "the next" somebody, whether you're saying they're the next Andrew Luck, the next Tom Brady, or the next Patrick Mahomes. But, with that being said, I think Caleb Williams is touching Patrick Mahomes level of field vision, awareness, arm talent, playmaking ability, swagger, and accuracy to all levels of the field.

And he's probably a more naturally gifted runner at the QB position than Mahomes as well.

I'm not saying Caleb Williams is better than the league MVP, but comparing him as a prospect, he's more refined at this point and he's got a lot of similar traits coming out. Because of that, it would take a collapse of catastrophic proportions, even for a team that had the 5th-worst record in football last year, to be in position to select Caleb Williams.

And if the team with the top overall pick is willing to trade it like the Bears were last year? Well, it's going to cost you two arms and two legs to make that deal.

But, non-zero possibility nonetheless.

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 8: Drake Maye, North Carolina

If the Denver Broncos' chances of landing Caleb Williams are one in a million, then I would put their chances of landing Drake Maye at about one in 750,000.

It's not the same long odds of getting Williams, but it's pretty darn close.

Although the hype surrounding Caleb Williams is significant, Drake Maye has entered the conversation for a number of people already to be considered as the top overall prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft class.

The 2020 NFL Draft class was highly anticipated going into the year when it included Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, and this kind of feels eerily similar. NFL teams got a massive bonus when Joe Burrow had a breakout campaign in 2019 and became the top overall player in that class, further deepening an already good QB class.

Drake Maye and Caleb Williams will duke it out all year for top overall player status, and as far as the Denver Broncos are concerned, there's a non-zero chance of one of those two guys being an option for the team in case they are forced to move on from Russell Wilson.

Even though the odds are stacked against it happening, you just never know...

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 9: Quinn Ewers, Texas

Once you get beyond those top two prospects at the QB position in the 2024 NFL Draft class, you start to see some of the more legitimate options the Denver Broncos could end up considering. That list would have to include a former #1 prospect at the position in Texas signal-caller Quinn Ewers. Ewers enters the 2023 season for the Longhorns with some pretty massive expectations.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2023, he's really got one year to prove that he can be the superstar Texas believed he could be coming out of high school before they really try to push Arch Manning into the lineup for good.

Ewers has put some big-time stuff on tape, but not with consistency like some of his peers in the 2024 class.

Here's what Pro Football Focus had to say about Ewers:

"Ewers disappointed in his first season as a starter after being one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits ever. He still flashed his ridiculous arm talent, as his 6.6% big-time throw rate stood sixth among Power Five quarterbacks. The issue is his decision-making and accuracy, as Ewers’ 65.2% adjusted completion rate was the eighth-worst in the Power Five. If he can rein it in, he has the talent to join Williams and Maye at the top of the draft. "

Pro Football Focus

The talent is certainly there for a guy like Quinn Ewers. If the Broncos have to endure a poor season from Russell Wilson, they might be willing to take a risk on a guy like this in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Denver Broncos 2024 QB option no. 10: Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Another intriguing risk/reward option for the Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL Draft is Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. Penix is a transfer from Indiana whose game has really taken a substantial leap forward since his time playing for the Hoosiers.

Penix went from not really being a draft consideration to being a potential first-round pick next year. He led all Power-5 passers last season with over 4,600 yards through the air, and he threw 31 touchdown passes along with four rushing scores. Pro Football Focus noted the massive improvement Penix Jr. made in terms of his turnover-worthy plays:

"Penix led the Power Five in 2022 with 4,641 passing yards. He also took incredible care of the football, as his 1.3% turnover-worthy play rate was the fifth-lowest in the country. He does have an injury history (two torn ACLs while at Indiana) and is on the older side (will be 24 years old as a rookie), but he’s the early favorite to be QB3 in what’s currently a wide-open class after Williams and Maye. "

Pro Football Focus

Given the fact that he will be older as a rookie, Penix's draft stock could take a hit next year depending on how he plays. His injury history is also a concern, but he might be a good possibility depending on what kind of situation the Broncos find themselves in.

Conclusion

Ultimately, nobody really wants to see the Broncos considering any of these options in 2024 if they don't absolutely have to. The ideal scenario is that Russell Wilson goes out there and earns his big-money contract, and does what the Denver Broncos acquired him to do -- make the team a legitimate contender.

There's a chance, unfortunately, that doesn't happen. Based on what we saw in 2022, there's a chance Russell Wilson's best days are behind him and the Broncos may have to deal with that harsh reality. But if I were a betting man, I would say there's a decent chance of one of these 10 guys being the team's starting QB in 2024.