Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton clarified about moving on from Russell Wilson via a brief but impactful response.
As shared by the MLFootball account on X (formerly Twitter) last March 25, a reporter asked Payton during the annual NFL team owner’s meeting, “Was it difficult with Russ (Wilson) knowing that the dead cap consequences were so severe to make that decision to let him go?”
Payton replied with a serious expression after drinking his coffee, “No.”
The second-year Broncos head coach needed one word to end a short but contentious working relationship with the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
But when he elaborated on their decision to release Wilson, the 2006 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year gave a standard response.
“We felt it was in the best interest of our team. Now, as we go forward, we’re in the middle of free agency; we’re preparing for the draft. We’ll look at both of those avenues to not only address quarterback but to address the other spots on our team,” Payton said during the AFC Coaches breakfast, as News9’s Mike Klis wrote on March 25.
Wilson was the Broncos’ starting quarterback when Payton inherited the team from Nathaniel Hackett and interim head coach Jerry Rosburg last season. His arrival helped Denver go from 5-12 in 2022 to 8-9 last season.
Despite Wilson’s improved performance under Payton, their relationship was tense. Payton’s heated confrontation with Wilson during their 2023 Week 15 game against the Detroit Lions manifested their strained relationship.
Worse yet, Wilson lost the starting role to Jarrett Stidham with two regular season games left. The Ringer Senior NFL Editor Lindsay Jones shared that Payton addressed the transition in a press conference on December 27, 2023, saying, “We need a spark. We need something right now. We’ll handle the long-term stuff when we get there, but we’re not there.”
Roman Harper knew the Payton-Wilson dynamic would be disastrous for the Broncos
GettyFormer New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper
The Saints drafted Harper in 2006, the same year Payton took over the squad from Jim Haslett. The Pro Bowl safety played eight NFL seasons over two stints in New Orleans. Therefore, the defensive back from Alabama knows what his former coach wants to foster success.
Unfortunately, Wilson’s playing style contradicts Payton’s winning formula.
“(Wilson) was just never a natural fit. Russ likes to cook. It’s more of an off-schedule, roll around a bit (style) … it’s never a 3-step-drop or a 5-step drop-and-throw,” Harper shared in a March 12 article by The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler. “Sean (Payton) would probably love his offense to be run and be coordinated. It was a little bit difficult for Russ. So that (breakup) never surprised me.”
Though Payton advocates timing and precision, Wilson scrambled more when the Super Bowl-winning head coach took over last season. Pro Football Focus notes that Wilson had 36 undesigned runs in 2023, 8 more than his 2022 total. Conversely, his dropbacks went down from 569 to 530.
While Wilson improvised, the Broncos achieved more victories with Payton’s guidance. However, when it was crucial, the experienced quarterback struggled. He threw six touchdowns and four interceptions in their final four regular-season games in 2023.
Wilson’s lack of accuracy resulted in three defeats in his last four games as the starter, knocking them out of playoff contention. The New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers, who have top-5 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, were the two teams that beat them.
Sean Payton plans to have Jarrett Stidham take first-team snaps while keeping other options open.
GettyJarrett Stidham, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos,
faced a significant gap at quarterback due to Russell Wilson’s departure. Even though mock drafts suggest that the Broncos will pick a quarterback in the first round, Payton will give Stidham the chance to show he is a capable starter.
According to “The Rich Eisen Show” YouTube channel, Payton mentioned during the March 25 AFC coaches’ breakfast at the NFL owners meeting, “We are still very positive about this player, and we are excited to see him receive more snaps and work with the 1s.”
In this scenario, Stidham would have the advantage for Ben DiNucci for the starting position. However, it does not rule out the possibility of drafting a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. ESPN’s Matt Miller even suggests the Broncos trading up with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 4 pick in his March 27 mock draft..
The Broncos will even consider unexpected scenarios, as highlighted by Denver Sports’ Zac Stevens in his tweet on March 30. He quoted Payton saying, “There are still a few possibilities regarding individuals currently in or formerly in this league.”
Played in the league?
This statement adds interest to the potential actions of the Broncos at quarterback.
