Former Broncos QB Lands Tryout With AFC Rival: Report

Getty Ben DiNucci #6 of the Denver Broncos.

Denver Broncos quarterbacks Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson will all take reps as the No. 1 QB in training camp until Head Coach Sean Payton names the starter.

There were four quarterbacks on the roster coming out of the 2024 draft. But the Broncos released reserve Ben DiNucci on May 8. DiNucci remains a free agent with training camps opening around the NFL.

His latest opportunity could see him reunite with a former teammate.

“Former Broncos practice-squad QB Ben DiNucci had a tryout with Steelers, where he well knows their No. 1 QB Russell Wilson,” 9News’ Mike Klis reported on X on July 23.

DiNucci’s last pass of consequence in the NFL was in 2020 with the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 53.5% of his passes for 219 yards in three games with one start that season. The Cowboys cut DiNucci in August 2022.

DiNucci signed with the Broncos in May 2023.

He had spent the spring with the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,671 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 10 starts for the Sea Dragons.

DiNucci joins a crowded Steelers QB room that includes former first-round pick Justin Fields, journeyman veteran Kyle Allen, and undrafted free agent rookie John Rhys Plumlee in addition to Wilson.

The Broncos are also paying Wilson $53 million in 2024 after cutting him in March.

Broncos to ‘Mix It Up’ at QB in Training Camp

GettyJarrett Stidham #8, Bo Nix #10, and Zach Wilson #4 of the Denver Broncos.

“We’ll mix it up again. Obviously, it won’t stay that way for the long term, but as we get started. We’ll keep you posted and eventually, we’ll settle into the routine we want,” Payton told reporters on July 23.

“I’m not going to sit here and layout like, ‘Here’s how it goes.’ Because I think the mistake made is deciding how it goes. … I think we’ll see a rotation initially, and then we’ll move on from there.”

Payton said there would be an “open competition” for the starting job in training camp.

That could bode well for Wilson. Payton told media members after the trade in April that it took a “bit of work” to acquire Wilson. The Broncos swapped sixth-round draft picks with the New York Jets during the 2024 draft to acquire Wilson.

Sean Payton: ‘No. 1 Goal’ is to Find ‘Right 53 Players’ for Broncos Roster

GettyHead coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.

Payton also bristled at the notion that the Broncos are trying to find a balance between evaluating their quarterbacks equally and finding a starter for Week 1.

“I don’t think you balance finding the guy to win against Seattle. I don’t think that makes sense; the sentence,” Payton said. “We’re looking to find the guy to beat Seattle. And we’re going to find that player. How do I balance the day, how do I balance the schedule, how do I balance the reps? That’s all part of what we do relative to teaching and the teaching progression.

“Look, the No. 1 goal is to find the right 53 players here for our team. Certainly, there’s a lot of focus on the quarterback position because there’s open competition there. But I don’t I don’t look at it as finding the balance. I look at it as finding the player.”