Five Broncos with the most at stake as OTAs begin

Jarrett Stidham still has the stated confidence of Sean Payton. That much was evident when the Broncos head coach discussed Stidham’s outlook and how his long-term vision for the the sixth-year quarterback had not changed based upon the limited sample size of two starts to conclude the 2023 season.

“Did anything change in those last two games leading to this season? I can’t say in fairness to him or the process definitively that anything did other than we still feel really positive about this player,” Payton said on March 25. “We’re anxious to see him when he’s getting a lot more snaps and work with the No. 1’s.”

Of course, even then, Sean Payton wouldn’t put Stidham in “the driver’s seat” for the job.

“He’s definitely competing to be the starter. I don’t think we have a term ‘driver’s seat,’ really,” Payton said. “He is going to compete for that position. I know he’s anxious and excited to do that. I’m sure there will be other candidates who will be competing with him.”

I asked Sean Payton about whether the vision for Jarrett Stidham had changed after the 2 games he played last season.

“That’s a good question. I think relative to his vision, it’s kind of exactly where we saw it a year ago. We felt like this is a player who can compete. …” pic.twitter.com/zu2RF7rMAI

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 25, 2024

Four weeks later, Zach Wilson happened. And exactly a month after Payton said he felt “really positive” about Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix became the Broncos’ first-round pick.

It was no surprise that the Broncos added to the quarterback room. But with those moves, the runway for Jarrett Stidham shrunk. And the arrival of Wilson is particularly interesting, because if he emerges, he could be the veteran with — and perhaps bridge to — Nix.

Cutting Stidham would save $5 million of salary-cap space.

That’s why Jarrett Stidham has so much at stake. Nix will be on the team, without question. He is the intended future of the Broncos’ quarterback position. But Wilson could do enough to make himself the present — and at Stidham’s expense, if the incumbent starter can’t show more than he did in two up-and-down starts to conclude the 2023 season.

BEYOND JARRETT STIDHAM, THESE FOUR OTHER BRONCOS HAVE THE MOST ON THE LINE AT OTAs

TE GREG DULCICH

Make no mistake, hopes remain high for Dulcich. He dropped weight last year as he recovered from a hamstring injury, which could give him a role in space — if he can stay healthy. And the Broncos didn’t use any premium capital to add to the tight-end room this offseason, which not only shows some belief in Dulcich — but in Lucas Krull, who played extensively down the stretch and showed some route-running skill.

That said, Dulcich’s outcome might be completely beyond his control. He could be brilliant during OTAs, catching everything in sight and becoming the down-the-seam threat the team needs as passes between the numbers become an integral part of the offense, just as they were for Payton’s offenses in New Orleans. But if his hamstring flares up again — and it would be a sixth time in barely two years — the decision regarding Dulcich’s outlook is going to be made for the Broncos.

WR BRANDON JOHNSON

You could throw another returning wide receiver, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, into the mix here, along with Jalen Virgil, who returns from a preseason knee injury. The addition of draft picks Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vale could squeeze the depth chart. So, too, could the return of Tim Patrick after two years on the sideline due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon. And then there is Courtland Sutton, who continues to work out away from Broncos headquarters in the hopes of receiving a new contract.

CBs DAMARRI MATHIS AND RILEY MOSS

Mathis lost his starting job last year after five-straight games to open the season in which he allowed a 100.0 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks when targeted, according to the data compiled by SportRadar.com. Mathis rebounded with his best game in Week 6 at Kansas City, but by the following game, Fabian Moreau had the starting job. Moss never got untracked last year after dealing with injuries in OTAs and training camp. The Broncos signed Levi Wallace to have a veteran presence, but they’d like one of these two young players to develop. If neither do, they’ll turn their attention to fifth-round pick Kris Abrams-Draine.

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