As of right now, Russell Wilson remains one of the most polarizing players in the NFL despite a resurgence in 2023. Wilson is not passing the "eye test" for everyone despite being one of the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks, completing 67.8 percent of his passes, ranking second in the league (as of Week 10) with 18 touchdown passes, and helping the Broncos rank 13th in the league in 3rd down conversion rate as well as 14th in red zone conversion rate.
What people mean when they say that Wilson is not passing the "eye test" is that Wilson is not lighting up the stat sheet in terms of passing yardage. The Denver Broncos don't currently have the most dynamic passing attack, even if that area of the offense is efficient. It's too boring for most people's liking.
I'm not saying they should or that they will, but let's say the Denver Broncos do move on from Russell Wilson in the 2024 offseason. Which quarterbacks should they avoid?
5 QBs the Broncos should avoid in 2024 offseason
1. Mac Jones, Patriots
At this particular point in time, I think it's appropriate to say that I wouldn't touch Mac Jones with a 39 1/2-foot pole. Although the failure of Mac Jones in New England after starting off his NFL career as a rookie in the Pro Bowl has not been entirely his fault, Jones has done his part to shut down the idea that he is a viable franchise quarterback in New England or anywhere else after this season.
Jones's touchdown percentage and interception percentage (3.1) are identical and would both represent career-worsts if they hold up. The Patriots have one of the worst offenses in the league and Jones is just not making good decisions with the ball.
All of these quarterbacks on this list undoubtedly come with the caveat that I think they could be better in Sean Payton's system, but I would rather the Broncos stick with Jarrett Stidham or go after different players than these guys.
2. Jameis Winston, Saints
At one point in time, I think I would have been all for Jameis Winston joining the Denver Broncos. Winston was the #1 overall pick back in 2015 after a tremendous career at Florida State where he won a Heisman Trophy. Although Winston's accuracy and decision-making were an area of concern, the Buccaneers made him their franchise QB and it didn't last all that long.
Winston basically played out his rookie deal with the Buccaneers and hit free agency with not a lot of teams lined up to sign him after his infamous 33-30 season back in 2019.
Not a lot of teams lined up, that is, besides the New Orleans Saints. Sean Payton and the Saints signed Winston and had him sit for a year in 2020 to learn the offense, learn from Drew Brees, and hopefully make major strides on the field as a result. Which we saw in 2021.
Winston returned to the field as a starter in 2021 for the Saints and was on pace to throw for about 50 touchdowns in the first six games and change, but unfortunately suffered a season-ending knee injury and was not the starter in 2022 when Sean Payton took his year away from the game.
Although there's history between Payton and Winston, I think this is a ship that has sailed, and would prefer to see the Denver Broncos go after a higher-upside option.
3. Ryan Tannehill, Titans
This one should be pretty self-explanatory, right?
The Tennessee Titans have been in a window with Ryan Tannehill since 2019, but it looks like that window closed in 2022 if not a bit sooner than that. Tannehill was the spark the Titans needed back in 2019 when they moved on from Marcus Mariota as the starter and franchise QB, inserting Tannehill into a shutout loss against the Denver Broncos, actually.
It was from that point on that the Titans became a legitimate contender in the AFC for three straight seasons, and they almost made the postseason again in 2022 if not for injuries piling up late.
And Tannehill did his part. Somewhat similar to what we've seen from Russell Wilson this season, Tannehill came up big in spots and was efficient for the most part, but he was leaving something to be desired overall.
I think at this point in his NFL career, Tannehill is just not effective enough to be considered a viable option for the Broncos -- or any team -- going forward. He has been effectively benched by the Titans in 2023 after starting the season off with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
4. Daniel Jones, GIants
I don't even know if the New York Giants can realistically move on from Daniel Jones in the 2024 offseason, but if they're looking for someone to take him off their hands, the Denver Broncos need to just say "no".
Daniel Jones was a high first-round pick back in 2019, somewhat surprisingly, by Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants. The Giants fell for Jones's physical attributes -- which are good -- as well as his football IQ. It was understandable, in many ways. Somewhat directly and somewhat indirectly, Jones was kind of a branch off of the Peyton and Eli Manning tree. Jones played for David Cutcliffe at Duke, Peyton Manning's OC and QB coach at Tennessee.
He also became sort of the Manning family QB mentor, so to speak.
So for Daniel Jones, you were getting a guy who was coached up in the ways of Peyton and Eli Manning, but also someone who could really run.
Unfortunately, Jones just has an unshakeable habit of turning the ball over. He was fumbling the ball at an incredibly high rate when he first came into the NFL, and although he had a really strong year of decision-making in 2022, he reverted back to his old ways in 2023. Now, he's recovering from a seasson-ending injury.
If Jones becomes available somehow in 2024, the Broncos need to pass.
5. Desmond Ridder, Falcons
Although I was personally a really big fan of Desmond Ridder coming out of Cincinnati, it's been really beneficial and educational to have seen him get a legitimate shot at being the full-time starter for the Atlanta Falcons.
And what we have seen from Ridder with the Falcons is perhaps the best of what we will get from him at the NFL level, which I believe is a high-end backup quarterback. There will be times and stretches of play where you think Ridder should be able to be a long-term starter in the NFL, but then there are other times when you can't help but wonder how long until he gets pulled from a game.
There is always going to be volatility and highs and lows with a young quarterback, but if the Atlanta Falcons move on from Desmond Ridder in 2024, I would not want the Denver Broncos to try and bring him in unless it was as a high-upside backup option. Bringing him in as a bridge starter would not be ideal, even though Ridder has shown some nice traits and obviously his athleticism and speed.
There are definitely some things about his game that make you think he could work well the more time on task he gets, but the reality is, he's started 12 games in the NFL at this point and has accounted for just 12 total touchdowns (8 passing, 4 rushing). Although Ridder has some dynamic dual-threat skills, I think if he became available, too many teams would view him as a bridge starter for the Broncos to be any sort of realistic option.