Broncos should trade QB Jarrett Stidham while his value is this high

The Denver Broncos have a red hot QB on their hands in Jarrett Stidham.

Stidham has torn up the preseason, dissecting the 49ers in Santa Clara and then tearing up the Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High.

Against San Francisco he went 14-15 for 136 yards and two touchdowns.

Squaring off with Arizona, Stidham posted a 16-23 night for 240 yards and another couple of TD tosses.

This man is on fire.

And that’s why GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton should probably make a tough decision. Now is the time to trade Jarrett Stidham, while his value is the highest it will ever be.

Look, if something happens to starting QB Bo Nix, the Broncos season is probably shot. Payton is putting his hopes and dreams behind Nix, thinking about the Super Bowl this year while the sophomore quarterback develops into a star.

Yes, this Denver defense is good, but without Nix the offense would likely be anemic. Payton said Stidham could be a “spark” when he benched Russell Wilson in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

With all due respect to Stidham, it’s a lot different playing well against NFL starters than it is against backups for the 49ers and Cardinals.

At this point in his career, Stidham isn’t going to ever be the guy for the Broncos. They have too much invested in Nix, hopeful he’ll be the next great Denver QB just like John Elway and Peyton Manning.

But the Saints, Colts and Jets?

Jarrett Stidham could probably start for any of those three teams right away and provide a little bit of hope in bad quarterback rooms.

The Broncos should be on the phone with each franchise, asking for a mid-round pick in return for Stidham. It would be tremendous value for a guy who (knock on wood) never sees the field in Denver this season.

Does another Riley Moss, Quinn Meinerz, Dre’Mont Jones or Justin Simmons sound appealing? Those are all guys the Broncos drafted in the middle rounds over the last decade. Stidham could be flipped into an asset like that if you trade him now.

And Sam Ehlinger has shown during training camp he can be a viable backup QB. It’s clear Payton really likes him, plus the Broncos would save about $10 million over the next two years unloading Stidham and switching to Ehlinger.

Nik Bonitto needs a massive contract extension. Just sayin’ that salary cap relief could come in awfully handy.

People will compare this to 2015, when Brock Osweiler kept that ship afloat after Manning had to miss a handful of games. Osweiler was a capable starting QB at that point for half the teams in the NFL. Stidham, maybe three squads. Quite frankly, Osweiler was a better player than Stidham is right now.

The Broncos are trying to win this season, but in the future as well. Getting back a valuable draft pick for Jarrett Stidham simply makes too much sense for Paton and Payton not to explore it.

Remember, Stidham has made it very clear over the years he thinks he’s a starter in this league. Denver would be doing him a massive favor with a shot to go prove it. And freeing up the money while adding a nice pick is thinking ahead.

The GM and head coach make the big bucks to navigate tough decisions. There’s no doubt this would be one, but it’s probably in the Broncos best interest to seriously consider it.

Let’s keep an eye on things over the next couple of weeks, as dealing Jarrett Stidham to New Orleans, Indianapolis or New York would be a win for all sides.

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