The Denver Broncos are in need of a backup quarterback. The answer to their questions at that particular spot on the team could currently be residing in New York with the Jets. It's a quarterback who the team maybe could have taken a shot at trading up for but opted to take Patrick Surtain II at nine overall.
Zach Wilson has not lived up to the expectations of the New York Jets since becoming the second-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In his first two seasons, Wilson has played in 22 of 32 possible regular season games. He has thrown 15 touchdowns to 18 interceptions while ultimately leading the team to an 8-14 regular season record.
Oh, and he was also benched last season for Mike White, who has not won more than one game in two seasons (a 2-5 record overall). You can blame some of these losses by both quarterbacks on them and that's completely fair if you look and analyze the games. However, the Jets really have been a terrible team for quite some time regardless of who was at quarterback. It just feels like they are a poorly-run team and that results in losing. It's a losing culture.
Joe Flacco and Chris Streveler also saw time on the field last season for the Jets. Ultimately, the Jets are a disaster and it's hard to see Wilson back with them next season. Also, the Jets are apparently interested in the idea of Derek Carr as their next franchise quarterback.
Brett Rypien is currently serving as the Broncos' backup quarterback. Rypien has shown some signs of life while playing and starting in just a small handful of games, but it's hard to say how confident the team is in him.
In an ideal world, the Broncos will have absolutely nothing to worry about with Russell Wilson going forward. In an ideal world, the 2022 season was a complete fluke. The Broncos wouldn't have to rely on Zach Wilson at all in the ideal world during Russell Wilson's tenure with the team. It's more so about upgrading the backup spot right now with the hope that the backup could come in if asked and play well.
Who knows? If the Broncos love what they see in Zach Wilson, they could even go as far as re-signing him to an extension later down the road. He will become a restricted free agent in 2026 and if the Broncos do end up trading for him, they would have the option to pickup his fifth-year option for the 2025 season. It's possible that he could even take over Russell in the future if he's around by the time the former Seahawk decides to retire.