Recent bold prediction adds to Broncos quarterback speculation

Could the Denver Broncos have another quarterback controversy at some point this season? Could Russell Wilson really find his way to the bench at some point?

We have discussed how Jarrett Stidham is a legitimate threat to take playing time away from Wilson this year and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated seems to agree.

Orr recently wrote an article containing 100 bold predictions for the upcoming 2023. Now many of these are clearly tongue-in-cheek predictions, but the one Orr put at No. 31 definitely is not.

He states that Wilson will not start the majority of games for the Broncos this season. Which would then mean that Stidham will.

Wilson has gotten much leaner this year and the predominant feeling within Broncos Country is that now that he has Sean Payton to work with, he will be the Wilson fans thought was coming over from Seattle, rather than the one that played under Nathaniel Hackett last offseason.

With those thoughts in mind, it's also quite conceivable that Wilson is just not that player anymore and that he won't be much better even with Payton running the show. The signing of Stidham in free agency is also one that should not be lost in the shuffle.

Stidham made the first two starts of his NFL career last season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders and is still an untested quarterback in the league. But the Broncos paid him $10 million over two years and that wasn't just to take him from the Raiders, it's because Payton, well known for his work with quarterbacks, saw something that he likes.

Payton is also not afraid to make tough decisions, as he recently did with Brandon McManus, in favor of the ones that he feels are best for his team. He is not going to cater to Wilson and nothing is going to be handed to him.

The idea that Wilson is still the franchise quarterback and will be the starter for the next several years is one of hope, but also one that could come crashing down. At worst, Stidham could be seen as the bridge to whoever the next "guy" will be.