If the 2023 season goes south and Russell Wilson does not play well enough, the Denver Broncos might decide to cut ties and pursue another passer, but who could that passer be? Wilson could be entering his last year in Denver, and whether or not you believe in him rebounding, it's a truth that needs to be said.
His first season in Denver was perhaps the worst year of his entire football career, but it was also one of the worst years in team history, so it's not like Wilson was the reason for the bad performance in 2022.
Now with Sean Payton running the show and some positive additions on offense, the Broncos should be a better offense, but nothing is guaranteed. If Payton doesn't feel like he wants to continue with Russell Wilson after the 2023 season, Denver might just cut ties with him, but who would take over as the QB in the meantime?
Let's look at four options the replace Russell Wilson in 2024 if the team releases him.
4 potential starting QBs for Broncos in 2024 if team moves on from Russell Wilson
1. Kirk Cousins, 2024 free agent
Could the Broncos end up still signing Kirk Cousins after all? The 2018 offseason was one to remember as Cousins had apparently narrowed his choices down to a few teams, and the Broncos were in that group.
He, unfortunately, did not sign with Denver, so the Broncos pivoted to Case Keenum, who lasted one year in the orange and blue. With the Vikings having a new regime in town and them already parting with some veteran players, Kirk Cousins being a free agent next year might be a way for them to easily move on from the QB.
Sean Payton might be attracted to having Cousins in Denver for a year or two while he figures out a plan to bring a long-term franchise option to the city.
4 potential starting QBs for Broncos in 2024 if team moves on from Russell Wilson
2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
I actually think the Dallas Cowboys could end up moving on from Dak Prescott at the end of the 2023 season if they again fail to make it past the Wild Card round. Prescott has been the starter in Dallas since 2016 and really has nothing to show for it besides some nice numbers in the regular season.
He is a franchise QB and is a fringe top-10 signal caller, so just because Prescott doesn't have much playoff success in Dallas, doesn't mean he couldn't in Denver. Pairing Prescott with Sean Payton would be a nice combination that I would be so interested in seeing.
Prescott has not played for and with an offensive mind nearly as good as Payton's so I think both would be able to elevate each other.
This is just a projection, though, there is no indication that the Cowboys would entertain making a trade like this, but I kind of think they'd pick up the phone for a good enough offer.
4 potential starting QBs for Broncos in 2024 if team moves on from Russell Wilson
3. Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos
For some reason, Sean Payton is high on Jarrett Stidham. He's had some very nice things to say about him this offseason and the Broncos did give him $10 million over two seasons to be the backup QB.
I also think that since Stidham is a Payton signee and Wilson is not, Payton won't hesitate to pull DangeRuss if Wilson plays poorly again.
And, at that point, wouldn't it make sense then for Sean Payton to see what Stidham could do with a full offseason? I wouldn't be a fan of seeing this at all, as I think Stidham is a good backup, but that's it.
However, Payton is, at some point, going to get a legitimate opportunity to bring in his own quarterback to potentially be the long-term option, and maybe he has his eyes on Stidham.
4 potential starting QBs for Broncos in 2024 if team moves on from Russell Wilson
3. Some QB from the 2024 NFL Draft class
The last and perhaps most efficient and likely option would be for Denver to take to the 2024 NFL Draft and try to take one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in the first round.
Denver could help their chances at doing this by perhaps trying to acquire additional draft capital. Trading a player or two to get more draft picks to potentially move up the draft board in 2024 could be an investment that pays off for them.
The Carolina Panthers decided they wanted to do something similar in 2023 when they traded up from the ninth overall selection with the Chicago Bears to select Bryce Young with the first overall pick.
I really don't think Denver is going to be bad enough to earn one of the top five or seven picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, so I think in this scenario, they will have to move up the draft boards, and they do have a first-round pick in 2024.