Sean Payton Sees 'All Three' Broncos QBs Making 53-Man Roster

Zach Wilson appears to have fought his way onto the Denver Broncos' final roster.

Aug 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson (4) celebrates his rushing touchdown with center Alex Forsyth (54) in the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson? As debates rage over who should make the Denver Broncos' 53-man roster rage in the wake of the team's 38-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason finale, head coach Sean Payton seemed to settle the question post-game.

"I feel comfortable with those three quarterbacks," Payton said from the podium. "I think I told you already I see the three of them making it."

Payton has spoken to how he'd feel comfortable keeping all three quarterbacks, including rookie starter Bo Nix, of course, he's yet to officially state that both Wilson and Stidham are making the roster. He still hasn't said it for sure.

Feeling "comfortable" with all three, or saying "I see" all three making the 53-man roster still falls somewhat short of a guarantee. But it could be as close to one as Broncos fans are going to get from the cagey head coach ahead of Tuesday's final roster deadline.

If we're basing it off of production in the preseason, Wilson would deserve supremacy over Stidham. Basing it on the Broncos' near-paranoia in how they protected Stidham's exposure to live-rep bullets in the preseason — almost in the same way a team would with its presumptive starter — he seems to be above Wilson in the pecking order.

However one slices or dices the rationale, Wilson is coming off a mostly good performance in the preseason finale. He went 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a QB rating of 123.9, while rushing for 22 yards and a touchdown. His 46-yard strike to Broncos receiver Brandon Johnson was a particularly impressive throw, and it led to an explosive touchdown.

"Look, we had some impressive throws. The one shot play in the hole to Brandon—I mean, he's got a live arm down the field. I thought he threw it away when it wasn't there," Payton said of Wilson's day at the office. "There was a couple sacks, but overall, he moved the ball. You're trying to measure, 'Hey, how's the offense doing when he's in there?' He had plenty of time on the play clock. Enough time to get in and out of plays if we need be. I think he's had the better part of the last two-and-a-half weeks, really."

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Meanwhile, Stidham went 2-of-4 for just 28 yards in the limited exposure he received against the Cardinals. It was the typical type of performance, albeit in a small sample size, you'd expect to see from the young veteran.

"Both those guys looked good," Payton said on Sunday evening.

If Payton were of a mind to roster just two quarterbacks, there would be trade-offs in either quarterback. Stidham presents the higher floor, which is attractice in a QB2, while Wilson's ceiling is obviously many floors higher.

These quarterback questions showcase what fate would have awaited the Broncos had Payton opted to pass on Nix in the 2024 NFL draft, and instead taken a cornerback or edge rusher like many 'experts' predicted. Thank the Football Gods that Broncos fans can look forward to a 2024 regular season with Nix at the helm, instead of two very flawed quarterbacks, both of whom have their strengths and weaknesses.

For now, though, it would seem that either Wilson is making the roster, or else Payton is doing his level best to talk him up in hopes of trading him ahead of the August 27 deadline to cut rosters down to the final 53 players. Look forward to Nix as Denver's starting quarterback when the regular season begins on September 8.

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