Broncos Floated as Fit for $15 Million Former 1st-Round QB

There is still a lot of uncertainty around the Denver Broncos quarterback situation.

Russell Wilson is under contract for five more years — and owed $242.6 million —  but recently began accepting offers on his Colorado home.

His relationship with Head Coach Sean Payton is also in question after Wilson’s benching last season. Payton, for his part, has admitted he still has not “fallen in love” with a quarterback yet. And his description of what he is looking for out of a quarterback did not fit Wilson.

It does fit what New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones showed as a rookie, though.

That is the argument 33rd Team’s Derrik Klassen made for Jones as a potential fit and reclamation project for Payton like Teddy Bridgewater in 2018 and, especially, 2019.

“The Denver Broncos could be interested in Jones,” Klassen wrote on February 15. “Part of coach Sean Payton’s apparent frustrations with Russell Wilson is that he couldn’t handle as much pre-snap and in the full dropback game as Payton is used to with his quarterbacks.”

Former Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Wilson’s best skills don’t fit what Payton wants.

“Russell to me is not a timing, rhythm passer,” Brees said on “Pro Football Talk” on February 8. “Russell is one of the best deep ball throwers in the league and has been for a long time, right? But it’s run game, it’s read-option stuff, it’s the RPO game. And then it’s heavy play-action, let’s let him launch it. To me, that’s that’s kind of the best system for him.”

“Jones has his limitations, too,” Klassen wrote. “But it’s hard not to see the world where Payton gets out of Jones what he got out of Teddy Bridgewater a while back.”

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Can Sean Payton Turn Mac Jones Into 2019 Teddy Bridgewater With Broncos?

Bridgewater signed with the Saints in 2018 following a devastating knee injury suffered in practice while with the Minnesota Vikings. He appeared in five games in his first season, starting one which the Saints lost.

He completed 60.9% of his throws for 118 yards and one touchdown with one interception.

In 2019, however, Bridgewater went 5-0 as a starter, completing 67.9% of his passes for 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns to two interceptions on the season.

Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in 2021, has seen his completion percentage and touchdown rate drop in each of the last two seasons. His interception rate, meanwhile, reached a career-worst 3.5% this past season.

Jones completed 64.9% of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 picks in 2023.

He is in the final year of his four-year, $15.6 million contract, and the Patriots do not plan on exercising his fifth-year option, worth an estimated $22 million, per Spotrac.

The Broncos might be able to secure him for a late-round draft pick. But with the regression in his performance and some of the character concerns that have come up in Jones’ career, that might not be the best use of their limited draft capital.

Klassens even says Jones is in “quarterback purgatory,” questioning if he ever regains his rookie form.

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Broncos Brewing an Uninspiring QB Battle

This move would be more encouraging if Jones were ready to compete for the starting job. His only competition in Denver would be Jarrett Stidham, who is expected to get his shot at being QB1 next season, and Ben DiNucci unless the Broncos add someone.

DiNucci has not thrown a regular season pass since the 2021 season.

Then there is the path through the draft, by which Payton selects his own project passer. One who isn’t looking at a new contract after next season.

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