Sean Payton's preseason QB strategy gives Zach Wilson huge L, stubbornly avoids clarity

The Denver Broncos have possibly the muddiest QB situation in the NFL leading up to the season, which is a real accomplishment when the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers exist. Sean Payton is essentially choosing between three options who were all platformed as equal candidates before training camp.

Jarrett Stidham has experience. Bo Nix is a priority rookie and the future of Broncos football. Zach Wilson is a former No. 2 pick with tons of natural talent. And yet, as Denver's first preseason game approaches on Saturday, it's unclear which direction Payton is leaning. In fact, he has stubbornly avoided clarity — at least in public forums.

He listed Bo Nix third in Denver's first official depth chart, but that was pure misdirection. Now that we know Payton's game plan for the first two preseason games, we can start to gleam a little bit of strategy. We just don't know who is going to start once the regular season arrives. That will probably be decided in the weeks to come as Denver gets live preseason tape to evaluate.

Stidham will start on Saturday. Nix will start in Denver's second preseason game. Conveniently left out of the starting conversation is Zach Wilson, who appears to be losing steam in this three-horse race. Payton has gassed up Wilson throughout the summer, but as the Broncos start to make tough calls (or whatever you'd call this particular decision), there will be casualties. Somebody has to finish last in a sprint to the finish line.

Zach Wilson appears banished to bottom of Broncos QB depth chart

Frankly, after Wilson's disastrous three-year stint with the New York Jets, this was the expected outcome. Payton surprised (and worried) a lot of fans by pegging Wilson on the same level as Stidham and Nix when camp began. Wilson is a major athlete and there is understandable belief in his ability to carve out a productive career. At 25, he's hardly done growing. A new situation can work wonders for "failed" prospects.

And yet, Wilson was among the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL last season (and both seasons before that). His decision-making was a constant stressor for Robert Saleh, not to mention the Jets fanbase. For every electric downfield throw or productive scramble, Wilson took a sack or launched a football into quintuple coverage.

He's just too unpredictable on a game-to-game basis. Maybe that changes down the line. Maybe Wilson finally lands with a team that can provide him with the right balance of personnel, stability, and most importantly opportunity. It's hard to chart his path forward, though. Wilson probably won't see the field much in Denver this season. If he can't beat out Jarrett Stidham, how many QB competitions can he actually win?

Wilson is staring down the barrel at a long backup quarterback career. That is an accomplishment in its own right, but it would be awfully disappointing for somebody once hailed as the future of the quarterback position. All jokes aside, Wilson probably deserves another bite at the apple. Somewhere not in a Jets uniform where he can actually get on the field and potentially prove his mettle.

We will still get to see Wilson in preseason action for Denver, so the door isn't entirely closed. But, right now, we can safely assume the Broncos are not going to prioritize Wilson's development. And thus, his journeyman career begins.