The Denver Broncos will conclude their 2023 regular season on Sunday with a road trip to Las Vegas. Now that the team has officially been eliminated from the playoffs for an eighth straight season, the only thing to play for is finishing at 9-8, which would give the team its first winning season since 2016.
But the organization already has one eye toward the offseason and following the game on Sunday, we can expect an immediate push toward getting the team better as quickly as possible.
It has been a turbulent season for the team after a 1-5 start before things turned completely around and there was a legitimate chance for a playoff spot. Following a crushing loss on Christmas Eve, those thoughts went by the wayside and the team made the choice to bench Russell Wilson.
Looking toward the offseason, here are some things that fans should expect to take place.
George Paton gets axed
This is a move that could take place as soon as the season ends.
On the Monday following the regular season, it's commonplace for teams to make decisions surrounding their head coach and front office positions. This has often been referred to as "Black Monday".
For the Broncos, there is almost no reason to keep general manager George Paton in his role. He hasn't done a good job of roster building and his decision to give Wilson the massive contract extension that he did, before he ever played a snap for the team, is the main reason why the Broncos are in the boat they are in.
Besides, Sean Payton seems to have more power and influence within the front office anyway. It's time for this move to be made.
A definitive decision on Russell Wilson
We know that Wilson has been benched and though it has been described as a performance decision, at least in part, we know that it is mostly financially motivated.
The Broncos simply weren't going to be on the hook for guaranteed money if Wilson were to sustain a serious injury in one of the last two games. As a result, the relationship between the two sides is basically over.
There have been reports that Wilson could stay in Denver but that is almost certainly not going to happen. He will be looking for his next NFL home and the Broncos will be looking for their next quarterback.
What is most likely to happen is that the Broncos will cut Wilson, likely with a post-June 1 designation- which would allow the team to split the NFL record of $85 million in dead cap money across two seasons.
Wilson would then become a free agent, able to sign with any team that he chooses. There could be several teams in the market for one, including the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders, among others.
Cut Tim Patrick
This one will be a tough decision, but the Broncos are going to have to try and create some cap space and they simply can't justify paying Tim Patrick, who hasn't been able to suit up for two full seasons due to injury, what he is owed in 2024.
Patrick has a cap number of $16 million. To cut him would lead to $6 million more in dead money but would also create a cap savings of $10 million. That is a move that you have to make.
Patrick was really starting to grow into a consistent option for the Broncos as he caught 143 passes in four seasons and in 2021 and 2022, had 11 total touchdowns. It's a shame that he and Wilson were never able to share the field together and his loss has been one of the biggest (and often overlooked) factors in the Broncos' offensive struggles the past two seasons.
Patrick will have to show that he is recovered from the serious knee issues that have kept him off the field since 2021. He also recently turned 30 years old.
But if he can make it all the way back, one option would be to come back to Denver with a new contract that could include some performance-based incentives.
Trade Jerry Jeudy
I know, I have been clamoring for this for the longest time and it's a dead horse I just don't intend to stop beating. Jerry Jeudy just does not fit on this team.
This is a deal that absolutely should have been made at this season's trade deadline and because it wasn't, the compensation in return likely won't be as good. But it still needs to happen.
This move won't be a cost-cutting measure as much as it can be just to get a little extra draft capital for this spring's selection process. The Broncos still have Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims, who showed promise as a rookie. Brandon Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey have also shown flashes this season.
Jeudy is a talented player, but he just hasn't shown it often enough. There have been countless excuses as to why that has been but at the end of the day, it's time to cut the losses.
Jeudy has 52 receptions for 679 yards and just one touchdown this season.
Trade a star player
The Broncos are going to have to strongly consider getting some of the big-money contracts off of their books. That could include some difficult decisions.
Looking at the way things are set up for next season, there are three contracts that are set up to cost the team big money. Those would be the contracts of Justin Simmons, Garett Bolles and Courtland Sutton. The team could look into trades involving these players.
It's hard to imagine the team dealing Sutton, particularly if it moves Jeudy. But Simmons or Bolles — perhaps both — could be dealt.
Both of those players are two of the better players at their respective positions in the league and the team does not currently have a suitable replacement on the roster for either of them, so it would be a tough choice to make.
But at the end of the day, having that flexibility under the salary cap may be considered more important so it's certainly conceivable that the team chooses to move at least one of these players.
Simmons, the team's defensive leader for several seasons, just turned 30 years old and will be entering his ninth season in the league. Bolles, a first-round pick in 2017, was the team's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this season.