Wilson Could Be Falling Behind Nix, Stidham in Broncos’ QB Race

Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.

The race to be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos might be leaving one man behind.

In a rundown of observations from all 32 NFL offseasons, The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider writes that former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson might be losing ground to rookie Bo Nix and veteran Jarrett Stidham.

“After 12 practices — 10 OTAs and a pair of minicamp sessions — it is difficult to see how Zach Wilson fits in at quarterback for the Broncos,” Kosmider wrote. “The fourth-year quarterback has unique arm talent in a QB room that also includes rookie Bo Nix and veteran Jarrett Stidham. But Wilson looks like someone who may need more time to adjust to Denver’s offense, even more so than Nix. Perhaps training camp could alter the equation, but at this point, it’s hard to envision Wilson starting for Denver in Week 1. And he has ground to make up if he’s going to win the backup job.”

Wilson was traded to the Broncos from the New York Jets in April 2024 along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

Wilson Polarized Teammates, Fans in New York

It’s ironic that Kosmider would mention Wilson’s arm strength in his observation of the Broncos’ starting quarterback race. That’s because it was his arm strength that essentially kicked off his NFL journey — most notably with one throw across his body from BYU’s Pro Day in 2021 that went viral.

After being selected No. 2 overall in 2021, Wilson struggled mightily in three seasons with the Jets. He went 12-21 as a starter but was pressed into duty in 2023 after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on the first offensive series of the season. It was a year in which Wilson had hoped to be able to learn under the four-time NFL MVP’s tutelage.

His time with the Jets became most notable for one game — a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots in 2022 in which Wilson went 9-of-22 passing for 77 yards with zero touchdowns as the Jets put up just 103 yards of total offense.

Afterward, Wilson said he didn’t think the offense let the defense down despite New England’s only touchdown coming on a punt return. Wilson apologized to his teammates within days but was still benched and vilified in the media — the beginning of the end of his time in New York.

Stidham and Nix Might Not Be Better Options

While Stidham enters his sixth season in the NFL, he’s hardly a better option than either Nix or Wilson.

The last two seasons, Stidham has been the quarterback AFC West teams called on when they benched their longtime, highly-paid starter late in the season. After spending his first three seasons as a backup with the Patriots, he started the final two games of the season for the Las Vegas Raiders in 20222 after Derek Carr was benched and went 0-2.

After signing a 2-year, $10 million contract with the Broncos in 2023, Stidham started the final two games of the season after Russell Wilson was benched, going 1-1.

Nix set the FBS Division I record with 61 starts during his college career at Auburn and Oregon. By comparison, Wilson had 28 starts over three seasons at BYU when he was drafted. Both players will be 24 years old when training camp starts.