Getty Who else besides Gardner Minshew should replace Russell Wilson in Denver?
Quarterback Russell Wilson was supposed to return the Denver Broncos to glory following his trade to the team in March 2022.
Instead, Wilson’s time in Denver appears to be over after a December 27 report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed he would likely be benched.
The blockbuster trade came with Rocky Mountain-high expectations, yet the hype eventually crashed back to earth. Wilson went 11-19 in 30 starts for the Broncos after going 104-53-1 during his 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
Backup Jarrett Stidham will now replace Wilson against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17. Uncertain times are looming for the Broncos at the most valuable position.
Here are five potential replacements for Wilson ahead of 2024 free agency following Dianna Russini’s report that Wilson expects to be cut in March.
Gardner Minshew
In March 2023, Minshew signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. He became the full-time starter in Week 6 after rookie first-rounder Anthony Richardson was placed on injured reserve with an AC sprain on October 9.
The veteran signal-caller has filled in admirably as the Colts remain in the AFC playoff picture with two games left. Minshew is 6-5 through 11 starts in Indianapolis, throwing 14 touchdown passes while rushing in for three more scores.
The well-traveled fifth-year pro is considered one of the top backups in the NFL. Head coach Sean Payton signing Minshew as a stopgap is an option while developing a younger quarterback.
Jarrett Stidham
Familiarity might be the best possible solution for the Broncos at quarterback.
Last season, Stidham went through a similar situation as the Wilson ordeal, but with the Las Vegas Raiders. Stidham had the game of his life after replacing Derek Carr as the Raiders’ starter ahead of a 2022 Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Stidham will be the Broncos’ 13th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement in March 2016, per Denver7’s Troy Renck. If he plays well in Denver’s final two games, he might solidify a roster spot with the team in 2024.
Jameis Winston
Payton knows Winston, given their time with the New Orleans Saints from 2020-21.
Winston earned the starting role in 2021 and put together his best-ever start under Payton’s guidance. New Orleans started 5-2 as the Florida State product posted a 14-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a career-high 102.8 passer rating in those seven games.
His best performance came in a 38-3 beatdown of the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, where Winston threw five touchdown passes.
The Super Bowl-winning coach seemingly knew how to get the best out of the former first-overall pick. Does a reunion between the two make sense in Denver?
Drew Lock
This is a controversial choice, given how it failed to work with Lock the first time around.
Lock was the Broncos’ second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. There was legitimate hope within the organization that he would pan out to be a franchise quarterback.
The former Tiger struggled as the full-time starter in 2020 as Denver went 4-9 in his 13 starts as he threw a league-high 15 interceptions. Things were not much better in 2021 as Lock went 0-3 while filling in for offseason acquisition Teddy Bridgewater.
Lock was included in the Wilson trade and has started twice for the Seahawks in 2023, most recently in Week 15. He threw a game-winning 29-yard touchdown to rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba to seal an upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba MY GOODNESS.
Go-ahead TD catch from Drew Lock turned out to be the game-winner 🤯
Jake Browning
The NFL world thought the Cincinnati Bengals were finished after Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury. Despite Cincinnati losing Burrow to injury, Browning ensured the Bengals would not go down without a fight.
Browning has completed 72% of his passes while throwing for over 300 yards in three of his five starts. Cincinnati is 3-2 with Browning under center. He even led a remarkable comeback against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15.
The Bengals rallied from a 17-3 fourth-quarter deficit to win 27-24 in overtime. Browning should not command much money in free agency and would be an ideal short-term answer for Payton.