The general consensus is that the Denver Broncos will be moving on from Russell Wilson this offseason, but head coach Sean Payton seems to be waffling back and forth. Or at least that’s what he wants everyone to think.

During an appearance on the Up & Adams Show on Friday, Payton was asked about the Broncos’ quarterback situation, and he was very diplomatic in his response.

“We start draft meetings Monday, so everything you’ve heard and read about us ‘Oh we’re going to trade up, trade down. I can’t tell you the jersey numbers of these rookie quarterbacks,” Payton said. “We haven’t even seen them yet.”

Does that mean Denver is going to find its new quarterback in the NFL Draft?

“The quarterback position, are we going to be able to find it in the draft, are we going to find it in free agency, or is it in the building? I think that decision is going to come quicker than later relative to Russell Wilson,” Payton said.

So, basically, Payton is trying to say that the Broncos have not yet ruled out Wilson being under center for the team in 2024, and he told Jim Rome as much when Rome asked Payton if he could see Wilson starting for Denver next season.

“That’s a possibility,” Payton said.

The Broncos benched Wilson for the final two games of the regular season after he declined to defer his $37 million injury guarantee. This (and a seemingly shaky relationship with Payton) signaled to everyone that Denver would likely be releasing Wilson this offseason.

Perhaps Sean Payton simply does not want to play his hand this early, which is completely understandable. But the idea of Wilson playing for the Broncos next season is wild, to say the least.

Wilson threw for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023. He was initially acquired by Denver in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks in March 2022.

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