Getty Denver Broncos HC Nathaniel speaks.
The Denver Broncos could be searching for a backup quarterback. Behind Russell Wilson, the Broncos currently have journeyman Josh Johnson and fourth-year player Brett Rypien.
During his career, Johnson has been on 14 different NFL teams and played in both the XFL and AAF. Last season, he played games for both the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, and he actually played well.
For the Jets, he completed 27 out of 41 passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in their Week 9 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
For the Ravens, he completed 28 out of 40 passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in their Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Unfortunately, he lost both of those games, but it is hard to blame Johnson for those losses.
Meanwhile, Rypien has only started one game in his NFL career. In 2020, he completed 19 out of 31 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions against the Jets.
The Broncos need to have a really good backup to remain competitive in the loaded AFC playoff race if Wilson misses time, and there is one intriguing option remaining on the free-agent market.
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Analyst: Broncos Need to Sign Ryan Fitzpatrick
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton named backup quarterback as the Broncos’ biggest remaining need in a recent article.
Wilson has missed only three games (all last season) in 10 years, but Denver may need a serviceable signal-caller for a game or two throughout the lengthy 17-game regular season.
The Broncos sent Drew Lock to the Seahawks in the Wilson deal, and they didn’t re-sign Teddy Bridgewater. Denver’s current backups are Brett Rypien, who’s thrown only 42 regular-season passes, and 36-year-old Josh Johnson, who has made nine career starts.
According to Moton, the Broncos need to sign veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Cam Newton may not want to settle for a backup role yet, though the Broncos should try to convince Ryan Fitzpatrick to stick around for another year after he missed all but one game because of a hip injury last season. The latter briefly crossed paths with new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett during the 2009 season in Buffalo.
Fitzpatrick Would Be an Excellent Addition
I actually wrote an article suggesting that the Broncos sign Fitzpatrick five days ago.
Fitzpatrick has played the best football of his career in recent years. Fitzpatrick posted the three highest PFF grades of his career in 2018, 2019, and 2020. During that span, he was also the 15th-highest-graded quarterback in the NFL per PFF.
Fitzpatrick seemed to unlock the Miami Dolphins‘ offense when he was on the field. In particular, he improved the production of the Dolphins’ wide receivers.
During his last 20 games with Fitzpatrick at quarterback, wide receiver Devante Parker posted per-game averages of 5.3 receptions, 77.3 receiving yards, and 0.6 touchdowns.
With Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, Parker’s per-game averages dropped to 3.8 receptions, 46.3 receiving yards, and 0.2 touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders last offseason. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.
Prior to the injury, Fitzpatrick showed no signs of slowing down, despite his age. If the Broncos signed him, he would be one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league.
Johnson could be a solid backup quarterback, but Fitzpatrick has proven himself to be a capable starter.