All signs point towards the Denver Broncos having a new starting quarterback for the 2024 season. After two seasons under Russell Wilson, the team appears to be heading in a new direction. As the Broncos look for a new quarterback, theres a strong chance that their starter for 2024 might not be in the organization right now.
Sean Payton and George Paton should have been looking carefully at quarterbacks starting in week 18, because one might be the next starting man for the Denver Broncos in 2024. These three Week 18 starters might be the signal caller for the Broncos in 2024.
1) Ryan Tannehill (Titans)
Ryan Tannehill has had an incredibly strong second act of his career in Tennessee with the Titans. Tannehill, now 35, is set to be a free agent this spring after five seasons in Nashville. Tannehill took a back seat to Will Levis for the brunt of 2023, and struggled in his small sample size. The veteran's 35.2 QBR was the worst mark of his Titan tenure, and his touchdown to interception ratio of 4:7 was easily the worst of his career. Tannehill, however, was at his best when the Titans were leaning on a strong running game, had strong weapons on the outside, and were able to open up the passing game over the middle of the field.
The plan that the Titans were able to use effectively mirrors what the Broncos have been hoping to be able to do this year, and going forward under Sean Payton. The Broncos are going to look to use the middle of the field more next year, and a quarterback like Tannehill could be a strong candidate to do so in orange and blue. Tannehill could also pose as a one-year stopgap for the Broncos as they look for a future quarterback, whether it comes in the form of their 2024 first-round selection or not.
2) Jake Browning (Bengals)
Jake Browning thinks he is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the National Football League. Bronwing started the brunt of the games for the Bengals this year after Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending injury, and Browning kept the Bengals in playoff contention through their week 17 matchup in Kansas City, a game they were in until the clock hit 0:00 in the 4th quarter.
Browning, in his nine appearances for the Bengals, threw for 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions, completed 70.4% of his passes, and posted a 60.4 QBR.
Browning played more than fine compared to what the Bengals might have expected from him. Browning's action this year was the first of his career, despite first being singed to a NFL contract prior to the 2019 season. Browning did well stepping into an offense that was catered for Joe Burrow, effectively relying on Burrow's arm, his weapons, and the pass catching abilities of his running back being prioritized over his running game.
If the Broncos can land Browning, he might fit into their mold of being able to utilize their outside weapons, while also using running backs out of the backfield, such as Samaje Perine.
3) Jarrett Stidham
Jarrett Stidham is the Broncos' only internal option for the 2024 season. Stidham's 2023 season ending with the former Raider starting the Broncos' final two games of the year, leading the Broncos to a 1-1 record during his starts. Stidham threw for just under 500 yards with a pair of touchdowns and just one interception during his two games, but a decent of his success against the Raiders came when the game was effectively out of reach.
The one upper hand that Stidham has over the rest of this group is that he has spent a year in Sean Payton's system. Stidham, who will be 28 when the new NFL season rolls around, has now spent a year with Sean Payton and in his system, and was able to display a decent grasp and understanding of it in his short tryout with the Broncos weeks 17 and 18.
The Broncos would need Stidham to play much better ball than he did in his two starts, but an improved run game would help aswell. Ultimately, Stidham is currently under contract with the Broncos for 2024, and no other quarterback is. Stidham has an immediate leg up.