The Denver Broncos are unlikely to keep both of Bo Nix’s backup quarterbacks, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, as they may have better opportunities elsewhere this offseason.
Phil Mackey of SKOR North suggested Wilson as a possible option for the Minnesota Vikings.
“If Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones both leave in free agency,” Mackey wrote on X on January 28, “which of these quarterbacks would you want in the Minnesota Vikings’ QB Rehab School?”
Along with Wilson, Mackey mentioned former first-round picks Justin Fields, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance as potential options for the Vikings if they lose both veterans.
Wilson, 25, was selected second overall by the New York Jets in the 2021 draft. The Broncos acquired him before the 2024 draft, and he is now in the final year of his four-year, $35.1 million contract.
Darnold is set to enter free agency after playing on a one-year, $10 million deal and is expected to receive a significant pay raise following his Pro Bowl season. Jones, meanwhile, joined the Vikings on a one-year, $1.1 million contract after being waived by the Giants just two years into his four-year, $160 million deal.
With Wilson not taking a snap in 2024, he is likely to be a more affordable option than both Darnold and Jones.
Broncos Were High on Zach Wilson
Broncos head coach Sean Payton shared that the team spent considerable time working on the trade to acquire Zach Wilson before finalizing the deal.
“We just thought, ‘Man, we’d love to work with this guy,’” Payton told reporters in June 2024. “We evaluated him before the 2021 draft and believed his skill set and talent made the investment worthwhile. It took some time—we spent nearly a month and a half negotiating the trade.”
Zach Wilson Gets Votes of Confidence Before Free Agency
“We just felt like, ‘Man, we’d love to work with this guy,’” Payton told reporters in June 2024. “We remembered evaluating him before the 2021 draft and believed the investment was worthwhile given his skill set and talent. It took a while—we spent nearly a month and a half working on that trade.”
Before signing with the Broncos, Zach Wilson completed 57% of his passes for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, and a 12-21 record.
Despite these numbers, he has received support, partly due to his Jets connection.
“Given what’s happened with Sam Darnold and Geno Smith, someone should take a chance on Zach Wilson in 2025,” Albert Breer of The Monday Morning Quarterback posted on X in December 2024.
Zach Wilson would not be denied a first down with his legs.
📺: #AZvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/r85lzj6TfQ— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2024
Darnold, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024, was drafted third overall in 2018, while Smith was selected 39th overall in 2013 and became a Pro Bowler in both 2022 and 2023 with the Seahawks.
Jets cornerback and former teammate Sauce Gardner also expressed confidence in Wilson’s potential.
“If I see someone do something once, I know it’s in them,” Gardner said on the Green Light podcast in June 2024. “I’ve practiced against him for two years and seen him make special plays in games. It just takes something to bring that out of him so it becomes consistent—game in, game out, and in practice.”
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