Head coach, Sean Payton, of the Denver Broncos has been questioned a lot in recent weeks after benching quarterback, Russell Wilson. That has not stopped despite the Broncos season being officially over. Many have viewed Wilson’s benching as a signal that his time in the Mile High City. However, Payton is still giving no indication which direction the organization will take next season in terms of a quarterback.
Look, I think when we get back and we begin this process of looking at our roster, where we select, there’s so many things that go into a decision specific to the quarterback, which is significant obviously, so it’s too early at all,” Payton said. “I spent half an hour with Russ yesterday, and I told him, I said, ‘Look, I don’t think it’s going to be a long, drawn-out process, but it hasn’t been decided relative to what our plans are.’ But as soon as we know something, certainly, he would be the first to know.”
“Yeah, listen, otherwise it would have been like ‘Hey, goodbye.’ I said that I think to you guys way back when,” he said. “We’ll look at all the scenarios and try to do what’s best for the Broncos. But communication will be important, and that final decision hasn’t been made.”
Wilson did have a bounce back year which did puzzle many NFL peers after he was benched, even with the financial complications that arose surrounding his contract.
Denver Broncos Head Coach, Sean Payton, Adamant That Final Decision Has Not Been on Quarterback, Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson’s Season
Wilson had a much better campaign this year. However, the numbers still did not do his contract justice. He finished the year with 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions, 3,070 yards, and a completion percentage of 66.4 percent. Last year, Wilson logged 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions and a completion percentage of 60.5 percent which was a career-worst.
Unfortunately, the Denver Broncos missed the playoffs again extending their postseason drought. The team finished with a win-loss record of 8-9 and third in the AFC West. Given the fact that Denver is paying Wilson one of the highest contracts in the league and have no playoff berths to show for it, one can somewhat understand why the team wanted him to restructure his deal. Even if the timing of it was a little eyebrow raising. If the Broncos do move on, there are a few options they can explore for the future.
Other Avenues the Denver Broncos Could Explore
One avenue the Broncos could look at is drafting and developing a quarterback. They would most likely have to trade up from the 12th pick in the NFL Draft, but that should not deter Sean Payton. This year’s quarterback class looks promising with the likes of Michael Penix Jr., Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and J.J. McCarthy.
However, Denver’s track record with having success drafting quarterbacks in not great. If they could convince Wilson to restructure his contract and come back, it would allow the team to surround him with more talent. With the way things are going though, drafting a quarterback seems to be the best-case scenario for the Broncos right now.
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