3 Broncos who won’t be back in 2025 after Patrick Surtain massive extension

The Denver Broncos gave Patrick Surtain II the bag, and it's tough to blame them. Surtain II has made two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team in his short three-year career. Entering his age-24 season, Surtain II is an undisputed lockdown corner in the same division as Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes. He's a necessity for a team like the Broncos, which despite the emergence of first-round rookie Bo Nix still faces some uncertainty at the QB position.

Surtain II could earn up to $96 million over four seasons, with more than 80 percent of that guaranteed. While that's great news for Surtain II, it also means George Paton must take on some roster reshuffling starting in 2025. Remember -- Denver is still paying Russell Wilson $38 million this season to NOT play football for the Broncos. What goes around eventually comes back around, the Broncos ownership will need to find ways to save capital.

Paton traded way too much for Wilson in the first place. He's made a number of questionable moves in the past, and could be on the outs himself. Counting on him to make the right corresponding roster decisions is...risky to say the least. Let's hope he listens to us.

3. Levi Wallace is on the outs already with the Broncos

The Broncos signed Levi Wallace to a one-year deal this past April. While folks in Denver may assume they acquired a stable veteran presence, I can assure them they're bound to be disappointed. Wallace isn't fit to play on the outside, and he doesn't have the flexibility to play in the slot. If the Broncos are counting on Wallace to provide legitimate depth on the opposite side of Surtain II, that's simply not the case.

Wallace is only 28 years old, and played the vast majority of his career in Buffalo with the Bills. His time in Pittsburgh left a lot to be desired, and adding Surtain II long term makes Wallace expendable.

2. Javonte Williams plays an expendable position in Denver

The Denver Broncos like Javonte Williams, I should make that clear. However, Williams is also injury-prone and far from dependable in Denver. Williams makes just under $2 million this season. If they can re-sign him for relatively cheap, then perhaps he'll be back.

What's more likely, though, is that the Broncos turn to one of their intriguing young backs like Jaleel McLaughlin, especially if he gets consistent playing time in 2024. Rookie Audric Estime should also not be overlooked, and both are popular late-round fantasy football targets for a reason.

The running back room is as important as ever in Denver with Nix in his rookie season. Because of this, the entire stable of Broncos backs should receive time on the field. Denver felt confident enough in its young backs to release Samaje Perine, who was claimed by the rival Chiefs. Surely that means something.

1. Jarrett Stidham will not have a Broncos roster spot past this season

This one feels far too easy. The Broncos quarterback battle did not go Jarrett Stidham's way, as Sean Payton rolled with rookie Bo Nix as the starter. Zach Wilson is the likely back in the event of an injury. That leaves Stidham competing for scraps, either on the practice squad or with backups in practice. That is less than ideal, and Stidham wasn't afraid to voice his frustration after Payton delivered the news.

"I know I’m a starting quarterback in this league. I have no doubts about that... I’ll be ready to go if I need to be. I have no doubts that I’m a starting-caliber quarterback," Stidham said.

I'd like to thank Stidham for his opinion, and also assure him that he is not a starting quarterback in this league. Stidham had stops in New England and Las Vegas to prove his starter potential prior to Denver. Unsurprisingly, they all ended the same way. He shouldn't be surprised that the Broncos would rather roll out the red carpet for their first-round rookie over a veteran. That's how the NFL works.

"I think they know what I can do," Stidham continued at the time. "I think I displayed that last year whenever I was asked to come in and play the last two games, throughout practice, throughout training camp, OTAs, the whole thing. At the end of the day, I'm going to go out there and do what I do. I'm confident in what I can do, and I'll do whatever I can to help this team."

Clearly, Stidham did not show what he can do, or perhaps he did and it wasn't good enough. Payton has eyes and helped develop Drew Freaking Brees. He's on the final year of his deal and, barring a spectacular turnaround, should be let go following the season.