The Denver Broncos head into Week 18 with no possibility of the playoffs, but certainly a lot to play for. Even if the team was just evaluating players for the future, this final week of the regular season is going to be massive. Future jobs are on the line. For some, free agency is on the line. For others, their future with the organization may hang in the balance.
Although not everybody is in the same boat in terms of potentially fighting for their roster lives, there is a lot at stake with this Denver Broncos team both among the players and coaches.
Who is under the most pressure in Week 18? Who would we consider to be on the "hot seat" for one reason or another?
1. Jarrett Stidham, QB
There's absolutely no question that Jarrett Stidham is on the hot seat in Week 18 against the Raiders. Facing off against his former team, Stidham is facing an offseason under the microscope, fair or not. While some people will boil it down to this two-game sample we're getting from Stidham, I personally believe the Broncos have already determined that Stidham can be the QB1 for 2024.
But I also think the perception of Stidham from the majority of the fan base is going to be based on this game. If Stidham plays poorly against the Raiders, that's going to be the lasting taste in everyone's mouth, and no matter how many times you say, "It was just one game", that's not really going to matter to very many people.
Broncos fans want to see results.
Now, on the other end of that, even if Stidham plays great, you're still going to have detractors saying, "It was just one game" or "two games", but at least if Stidham plays well, you'll have something positive to look back on. I think there's a ton of pressure on #4 in this game, most of it coming from the fan base. Fair or not, that's the way it is.
2. Javonte Williams, RB
We need to give some grace to Javonte Williams, who has played all season in his first year back from a major knee injury in 2022. Williams suffered a scary injury early last season and made somewhat of a miraculous comeback in 2023. He hasn't missed really any time, nothing significant, but as admirable as his comeback has been, it's been tough sledding for Williams throughout this season.
Williams's calling card is creating yardage after contact, and that has been virtually non-existent in 2023. He's 78 yards under expected, according to Next Gen Stats, which is the 6th-worst figure among running backs. His rushing yards after contact per attempt was a solid 2.3 in his first two NFL seasons and is down to 1.6 in 2023. He had 31 broken tackles on 203 rushing attempts in his rookie year and he has 9 broken tackles on 208 attempts in 2023.
Simply put, Javonte Williams hasn't been good enough to justify being RB1 going into next year. And he's on the hot seat in Week 18, at least in my estimation.
3. Jerry Jeudy, WR
I think the Denver Broncos desperately want Jerry Jeudy to be a factor in the team's plans going forward. They see his talent, they see his explosiveness after the catch, and they see how he can play and be effective whether he's lined up inside the slot, outside, whether he's being sent in motion, whether he's challenging the defense vertically, etc.
I think the Broncos' Week 18 matchup is going to be huge for Jeudy, who is likely to get more designed touches just like we saw in Week 17. It's crucial for him to make a good impression going into the offseason.
4. Baron Browning, EDGE
Assuming he plays on Sunday, Baron Browning is going to be playing in just his 10th game this season. Browning's struggle to stay on the field has been frustrating because he's such an impactful player when he's healthy and at his best.
I think the Broncos would love to be able to rely on Browning a bit more, but can they? Just like some of the other players on this list, I think the Week 18 matchup against the Raiders will be a great way for Browning to show exactly how impactful he's capable of being, and he obviously will want to leave the Broncos' front office feeling good about his progression off the edge.
5. DJ Jones, DL
The guaranteed money on DJ Jones's contract runs out after this season. The Broncos can save $10 million by cutting him in 2024, and with a cap hit over $12 million, Jones has to justify the cost to keep him around.
I think a big game against the Raiders and a rushing attack that has haunted the Broncos in recent years could go a long way towards doing that, especially because the Broncos are already thin at this position group moving forward.
This is a big week for Jones and his future.