INDIANAPOLIS — Sean Payton saw the meme.
A Denver Broncos fan wore a shirt with eight quarterbacks’ names displayed. All eight were crossed out. Meanwhile, the fan was downing a “quarterback Kool-Aid.” The message was clear: The Broncos need to stop falling for quarterback solutions that don’t suit them.
“It’s vital,” the Broncos head coach said. “Our job is to make sure that this next one doesn’t have a line through it.”
In theory, that “next” quarterback could arrive in Denver anytime in the future. No one believes Russell Wilson will be Broncos quarterback forever more.
And yet, the ease and specificity with which Payton referenced “this next” quarterback did not resemble that of a coach thinking down the line.
The Broncos’ quarterback decision will arrive imminently. And if Payton’s language is any indication, the question may be less about how than whether Wilson leaves Denver.
“Somewhere in the neighborhood of next week we’re going to [decide],” Payton said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. “There’s a couple of factors here. Obviously, the [salary] cap projections came out. We’re further down the road with the draft class. Obviously, the pro free agents.
“So I would anticipate it being within the next two weeks.”
Head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos face a big decision on Russell Wilson’s future this offseason. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Mark your calendars: The Broncos expect to know by March 12, if not sooner, how they’ll solve the quarterback question for 2024. The NFL’s legal tampering period for free agency begins March 11 while free agency officially commences on March 13.
How did Wilson, Broncos get here?
The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback and former Super Bowl champion arrived in Denver by trade ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
He’s since completed 63.3% of pass attempts for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Wilson posted the worst season of his career in 2022 with head coach Nathaniel…
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Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-02-27 21:13:48
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