NFL Rumors: Predicted Broncos’ Russell Wilson replacement is in Sean Payton’s wheelhouse

Now that the Denver Broncos have officially closed the door on the Russell Wilson era -- and Wilson is already on to find his new home, traveling the country -- they need to find a successor to come in and take his spot as the team’s starting signal-caller. 

However, the Broncos are in a less-than-ideal position to do so this offseason with their draft position, financial situation, and the quarterbacks available to them via the open market. They must get creative and think outside the box if they want to replace Wilson adequately.

Denver owns the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, just outside the reach of the top quarterback prospects unless one happens to slip through the cracks while lacking the resources to move up the board after mortgaging their future to trade for Wilson. Moreover, they’re roughly $5 million above the salary cap, which ranks 27th in the league. 

And even if they had money to spend, a quarterback free agent class headlined by veterans like Ryan Tannehill, Joe Flacco, Kirk Cousins (who is coming off a torn Achilles entering his age-36 season), and Baker Mayfield (who will likely re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) is far from encouraging.

The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt made a fascinating prediction (subscription required) as to who will be quarterbacking the Broncos in 2024 based on the current state of the team and their potential pathways to addressing the position this offseason.

NFL Rumors: Broncos predicted to trade for Sam Howell

Rosenblatt believes that Denver will trade for 2022 fifth-round pick Sam Howell, who started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders this past season, citing “some buzz” at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that the Broncos are “intrigued by the idea of adding a young quarterback via trade.”

Howell had an up-and-down campaign for the Commanders in 2023. He finished the year completing 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdown passes. He led the NFL in passing yards through the first 12 weeks of the season but also finished the year throwing more interceptions than any other quarterback (21), highlighting his inconsistency.

However, a change of scenery and a fresh start could be what Howell needs to get back on track. Most importantly, it shouldn’t take much to acquire him, and he’s under contract with a team-friendly average salary of roughly $1 million for the next two seasons. “A third- or fourth-round pick should do the trick,” said Rosenblatt.