Despite still being alive in the playoff race at the time, the Denver Broncos made a bold decision to bench starting quarterback Russell Wilson ahead of Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. It turns out is a move that the team was threatening Wilson with for weeks, as they wanted him to adjust the injury guarantees in his contract.
With no motivation to do so, Wilson opted against that. He ended up helping the team get back into playoff contention after a 1-5 start, but it was not enough for the Broncos to change their mind. With so much money at stake, they benched Wilson so that he would avoid getting injured and not being able to pass a physical in March when his guarantee would have kicked in.
Denver will have a new franchise quarterback in 2024. Jarrett Stidham, who replaced Wilson, could be used as a bridge or stopgap option, but a younger player will almost certainly be added to the mix.
NFL News & Rumors: Sean Payton, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Denver Broncos Updates
Who could the Broncos be looking to add? According to team insider Benjamin Allbright on X, formerly Twitter, they have already set their sights on two players in the 2024 NFL Draft; J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan and Bo Nix out of Oregon.
McCarthy and Michigan are set to face off against Washington tonight for the College Football Championship. He has yet to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft and his decision could hinge on how the team fares against the Huskies and what head coach Jim Harbaugh decides to do.
Rumors have swirled that Harbaugh could be heading back to the NFL this year with the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders mentioned as landing spots. He nearly became the Minnesota Vikings head coach in 2022, going as far as saying goodbyes to people at Michigan.
It is a tough decision for Harbaugh, as he has a 10-year megadeal on the table from Michigan worth $125 million. Is the appeal of the NFL strong enough to turn down that kind of deal? We will have to wait and see.
NFL News & Rumors: Sean Payton, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Denver Broncos Updates
“From the day Payton was hired, his aim at quarterback was to achieve what he enjoyed for 15 years with Drew Brees,” NFL insider Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports wrote on December 28. “Namely, recreate a quarterback who knew the multitude of layers in his offense and who could recite them with speed and detail from the first page to the last. And most important, step out on gameday and operate every nuance of the scheme with the precision of the Vienna Philharmonic.”
According to many NFL analysts, Payton wants a quarterback who will operate within the offense that is built. McCarthy, should he declare, would fit that bill. Nix would as well as he put up some gaudy stats with the Ducks during his time in Oregon.
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