“Operation: Kill The Meme” might be a slow churn for the Denver Broncos.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, Denver coach Sean Payton said he saw the picture of a fan wearing a Broncos jersey, the names of each of the team’s quarterbacks since 2016 — all 13 of them — sporting a line through them, circulating on the internet.
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Payton said it’s his job to paint a different picture. To deliver the permanent solution to a franchise that has been wandering in the quarterback wilderness for the past eight years.
“Our job is to make sure this next one doesn’t have a line through it,” he said.
The Broncos, it appears, are determined not to rush that process.
One year after agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with Jarrett Stidham just as the free-agency period opened, the team is taking a different approach as this new league year looms. As quarterback moves rippled around them in recent days, the Broncos waited. It’s a level of patience the team, which agreed to terms with only one outside free agent Monday, safety Brandon Jones, promised to exhibit heading into this period of the offseason.
“We have flexibility, but we’re going to just be more measured and try to fill specific positions and specific needs throughout the team,” general manager George Paton said at the combine.
Shortly after Monday’s legal tampering window opened, Kirk Cousins agreed to a massive four-year deal to become the new quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. That came two days after Baker Mayfield, who was set to be the No. 2-ranked quarterback on the open market, agreed to a three-year deal to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Chasing either of those two quarterbacks was never a realistic option for a Broncos team that will already be paying almost $38 million in 2024 to Russell Wilson while the quarterback plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, those signings crystallized the parameters of Denver’s search for Wilson’s replacement.
When Gardner Minshew agreed to a two-year deal with the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders — an eyebrow-raising pact that includes $15 million in guarantees — and Jacoby Brissett agreed to a deal with the Patriots, the pool of viable starting options in free agency dwindled further. Sam Darnold, who spent last season backing up Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers, was considered another option with interest from several quarterback-needy teams, as The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported, but he agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings late Monday night, according to an NFL Network report. Other veterans like Ryan Tannehill and Mason Rudolph remained available as Monday’s business drew toward a close.
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Perhaps the Broncos will end up signing one of those quarterbacks. Maybe one of them will earn the distinction in September of becoming Denver’s seventh Week 1 starter since 2016. But Denver is being deliberate with the process and has created several contingencies in its pursuit of competition for next year’s starting job.
Free agency is not the only path for the Broncos to find another quarterback, and the others could take time to materialize. For example, the Washington Commanders, who hold the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, could be willing to offer third-year player Sam Howell in a trade. But Washington might not be ready to make such a move — if it decides to do so at all — until its draft plans are solidified. The Broncos in 2021 needed competition for third-year player Drew Lock, but they chose not to sign a quarterback in free agency. Instead, after the Carolina Panthers swung a trade with the New York Jets for Darnold, the Broncos moved to acquire Darnold’s predecessor in Carolina, Teddy Bridgewater, who beat Lock for the starting job.
In other words, sometimes the pieces take a while to move into view. For now, there isn’t an obvious home run answer for the Broncos. And the hard truth is there is no guarantee the long-term solution the franchise desperately wants to produce will be found this offseason.
“We want to see the entire landscape,” Paton said at the combine when talking about this offseason’s search for a quarterback. “It’s the most important position in sports. … It’s not just going to happen overnight. Our decision is very important.”
The Broncos are seeking future upside in the quarterback options they are evaluating. It was the case when they sprinted to sign Stidham last year. Though Stidham made only two starts during his first four years in the NFL after joining the league as a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2019, Payton saw a quarterback who could process the field quickly and distribute the ball on time. Those traits were enough for the Broncos to hand Stidham a two-year, $10 million contract with guarantees in both years. It’s why Stidham should have at least a chance to battle for the QB1 job in 2024 after starting the final two games last season.
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It’s also why Darnold was an intriguing option. The No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft has significant arm talent but carries a spotted resume. He struggled during his three seasons with the Jets — the blame there certainly was not his alone — and dealt with injuries upon arriving in Carolina in 2021. Still, he closed the 2022 season strong and put together an impressive camp with the 49ers. He will be only 27 when the 2024 season begins and has a chance to resurrect his career in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
Of course, the real upside potential at quarterback resides in the draft. The flurry of action Monday could have a sizable impact on how the event unfolds from a Broncos perspective next month. The Falcons, who hold the No. 8 pick, likely pulled themselves out of the quarterback derby by committing long-term to Cousins, who has significant guarantees through 2026. Their pick could become a critical landing spot for a team trying to trade up and land a quarterback, perhaps Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
By losing Cousins, the Vikings, who hold the No. 11 pick, might have become the biggest trade-up competition for the Broncos. Even after signing Darnold, Minnesota still needs a franchise quarterback. The Raiders agreed to give Minshew hefty guarantees in his two-year deal Monday, but they could also loom as a trade-up candidate at No. 13.
A trade up isn’t the only way to nab a quarterback in the draft. Denver moves down in the order, picks up a much-needed second-round pick and still picks a quarterback like Oregon’s Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. Payton said during interviews at the Super Bowl that if he falls in love with a quarterback, he won’t be deterred by where the “NFL bus,” as he calls the churn of opinions surrounding the draft, have slotted that quarterback.
“It’s easier to trade down with where we are at No. 12,” Paton said at the combine. “It just depends on who’s there. We feel like there’s going to be 12 to 15 players that we have high grades on. Where we’re picking is going to be very valuable if we do want to move down.”
Players like South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tennessee’s Joe Milton or Tulane’s Michael Pratt could be options for Denver’s third- or fourth-round picks. Developing a quarterback like that behind Stidham and a veteran passer signed later in free agency is another route the team could take.
One unofficial day of free agency was never going to tell the full story of Denver’s future at quarterback. It’s not important that the Broncos quickly add to the position. Only that they get it right when they do.
(Top photo of Jarrett Stidham: Perry Knotts / Getty Images)