New uniforms, another new quarterback, a different outcome?
By Dustin Teays
Do you remember when the Denver Broncos were a force to be reckoned with? I do. Peyton Manning announced he was coming to Denver in one of the most shocking and important offseason additions in franchise history that would go on to alter the course of the organization for the next four years. This culminated in the Super Bowl 50 win, but since then there hasn't been much to get excited about other than a few things here and there that haven't panned out.
Multiple seasons of missing the playoffs and subpar records followed after the Super Bowl 50 win and fast forward to 2022, (through countless starting quarterbacks and draft busts, head coaches and other staff) and an agreement was reached to sell the Broncos for $4.65 billion to the Walton-Penner family ownership group which ushered new blood and new eyes to shape what this franchise should look like.
What was one of the first things that happened when new ownership took over? They showed their discontent with the quarterback room by announcing a monster trade for Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson from Seattle which cost multiple first-round picks and players. In his first season in Denver, he had Nathaniel Hackett as a head coach after Vic Fangio was fired (remember when fans had to countdown the play clock?) and had a down year. Hackett was fired (thankfully) and the Broncos spent once again when they lured Sean Payton out of the commentary booth to come coach the Broncos.
Even a Super Bowl winning coach couldn't get the absolute best out of Wilson, (although the dynamic between Payton and Wilson was like trying to put a square block in a round hole) and this trade has now gone down as one of the worst trades in franchise history as after just two years in Denver, Wilson was released with a dead cap hit of $85 million. Now, it appears the Broncos are mercifully completely rebuilding after missing the playoffs once again in 2023 and drafting 12th in the 2024 NFL Draft (and having new uniforms) but we've seen this before haven't we Broncos Country?
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Since Manning retired in 2016 there have been 13 different quarterbacks to start for the Broncos and not a one of them has put the team on their back. The 2024 draft will most certainly bring with it a new quarterback for the Broncos, but who? Will they alter the current course of the franchise? Let's hope so.