Bo Nix's performance as a rookie has made one of Denver's backups expendable.
The NFL trading deadline is looming on Nov. 5, and despite the promising start for the Denver Broncos--they're 5-3 and have a 60% playoff probability, according to PlayoffStatus.com--there is still an opportunity to collect assets and continue coach Sean Payton's post-Russell Wilson rebuild-on-the-fly program.
While the Broncos do not have a wealth of players they could put on the market, they are full up on quarterbacks, with rookie Bo Nix having established himself (so far) as the second-best offensive rookie to come out of the 2024 draft. That gives the Broncos some unexpected leeway when it comes to trades.
They could--and according to some, will--trade away one of the QB depth pieces now that their faith in nix has been rewarded.
The Broncos could move either Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson and collect a Day 3 pick in return. At the contract-expert site Spotrac, the bet is they will make one of those moves, likely sending away Wilson, the former No. 2 overall pick acquired in the spring from the Jets for a sixth/seventh-round pick swap.
On "The Spotrac Podcast" this week, managing editor Mike Ginnitti laid out the prediction that a Broncos QB deal is in the offing.
"Zach Wilson and Jarett Stidham," Ginnitti said. "This is an either/or scenario. One is markedly more expensive and has markedly less playing time as a starting quarterback, that would be Stidham over Wilson, whose expiring contract costs about $528,000. I know, we’ve seen a lot of bad out of Wilson. We’ve seen some decent stability out of Stidham as a backup quarterback. But that’s what this is.
"You’re looking for a team that maybe doesn’t like their QB2 situation right now. Or a contending team that wants to take advantage of this third quarterback rule, especially in the postseason, and just wants to shelve a Zach Wilson, who has game experience, on the roster so that they can utilize him as needed and certainly have the injury protection, as needed, down the stretch as well.
"Wilson has a real chance of moving here."
The Broncos depth chart does list Stidham as the No. 2, and he has made one appearance this year, a late-game mop-up job in Week 7. Wilson has yet to play for the Broncos this season.
