It’s been nearly eight and a half years since Peyton Manning threw his last NFL pass, and the Denver Broncos are still searching for a suitable replacement.
Finding a good quarterback is one of the toughest tasks in the NFL, and the Broncos have had 13 different starters in the last seven seasons.
This year’s training camp features rookie Bo Nix, reclamation project Zach Wilson, and journeyman Jarrett Stidham.
These players aren’t exactly high-profile or expensive. Nix will earn $795,000 in 2024, Zach Wilson is set to make $1.12 million, and Stidham will get $4.49 million.
The Broncos are also covering most of Russell Wilson’s $39 million salary while he plays for Pittsburgh this season, as part of a costly separation that includes a record $85 million in dead cap charges over two years.
Zach Wilson, drafted second overall by the Jets in 2021, has shown the strongest arm among this year’s candidates but has fallen behind Stidham and Nix. Nix is starting to show more promise and is becoming a slight favorite.
Nix’s NCAA record of 61 college starts is evident in his performance. Nickel back Ja’Quan McMillian noted: “There was one practice where he saw that we would blitz and he checked out of it and was able to get the offense right and make a good play. So, seeing him getting better each and every day is a good thing to see.”
This is especially important if the Broncos decide to start the rookie from the beginning. If that happens, Nix would become the 14th different player to start at quarterback for Denver since Manning retired in 2016 after winning Super Bowl 50.
The only other NFL quarterback to retire after starting and winning a Super Bowl was John Elway in 1999. Two decades later, he returned to Dove Valley and built another Super Bowl champion with Manning as the key player.
Elway’s success with quarterbacks seemed to start and end with Manning. Recently, Elway admitted that his biggest regret was not drafting Josh Allen with the fifth pick in 2018. Instead, he chose pass rusher Bradley Chubb, which has impacted the team’s fortunes.
This is a look at the difficult path the Broncos have faced, with a record of 52-79 since Manning’s departure.
