The Denver Broncos are going to have some roster changes in the 2025 NFL Offseason, and this could even be true for the QB room. It's not a secret that both Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are free agents in 2025. And it's been no secret that the QB room, alongside Bo Nix, have grown quite close.
I think in an ideal world, the Broncos are somehow able to retain both Wilson and Stidham in 2025, but I would venture to guess that those odds are close to 0. The Broncos swung a trade for Zach Wilson last offseason, and seeing as Wilson is several years younger than Stidham, better, and has a higher upside, Denver may prefer to keep him aboard as the backup.
Jarrett Stidham is finishing up the second year of a two-year, $10 million deal he got from the Denver Broncos last offseason. Well, Denver may have to choose one over the other, but this recent report indicates that their decision may have been made for them.
Here is what Chris Tomasson had to say in The Denver Gazette:
"Even though Nix is entrenched as the starter for likely years to come, Stidham, his backup in 2024, has told The Denver Gazette he would have interest in re-signing with the team. If Stidham can’t get a deal with a team that gives him a shot to compete to start, his return is a reasonable possibility since Nix has talked plenty about much Stidham, 28, has helped him in the quarterback room. Wilson, who was the third stringer and wasn’t active for any games, seems more likely to move on since he is just 25 and another team might consider him an intriguing player they can continue to develop."Chris Tomasson
What we have seen with players like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield in recent years could convince a team enough that Zach Wilson could be the next castaway 'breakout' QB. You have to assume that one year in the Sean Payton/Davis Webb QB room has done Wilson a lot of good, and he may even have a stronger contract offer out there - and a stronger one than Denver can offer.
If Jarrett Stidham does return as the backup in 2025, that would be just fine. Bo Nix and Stidham are likely friends, and I am sure Stidham has been a huge help for Bo Nix. In my opinion, the Denver Broncos would be perfectly fine with Stidham or Wilson as their backup.
Bo Nix is surely entrenched as the starter for years to come, so to some degree, the backup doesn't matter nearly as much for the Broncos as it has in recent years, but with how many backup QBs end up playing in a given NFL season, it would be wise for the team to invest into a legitimate one. Both Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are legitimate backup QBs, and it will be interesting to see what path this team takes with the QB2 spot in 2025.