After a rollercoaster three years with the Jets, Zach Wilson is looking to reboot his NFL career under Sean Payton in Denver.
The No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft is joining a crowded Broncos quarterback room alongside fifth-year signal caller Jarrett Stidham and this year’s No. 12 selection, Bo Nix.
As OTAs kick off this week, Payton wants Wilson and his positional peers to focus on one thing: where they already succeed.
“The first step with all of these guys, Jarrett, Zach, [Bo Nix], what do they do [well]?” Payton told The Athletic. “There will be a handful of things that all of these guys have in common that they do well. Even in a preseason game, when one of them is in, you try to build your script around […] you want to see them have success. That’s our jobs as coaches and teachers […] The challenge is exciting, but it’s still, you want good quarterback play.”
The trio of quarterbacks are expected to compete for the Broncos’ starting job over the next few months.
Earlier this month, Payton was coy when asked by reporters how his team’s QB spot would play out.
“We’ll figure it out,” Payton said, per ESPN. “We’ll have a rotation and we’ll go from there.”
Wilson comes to the Mile High City after throwing 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions while posting a 57 percent completion rating during his three seasons in New York.
The Jets dealt Wilson to the Broncos in April, along with a seventh-round pick (No. 256), and received a sixth-round pick (No. 203) in return.
“We were really happy to bring Zach on board,” Payton said after the trade. “We know we wanted to add into the (quarterback) room, and I think I said that much even at the owner’s meetings. We really liked that opportunity. There were a number of veteran backups that signed contracts, and yet we saw talent with a player that just three years ago was the No. 2 pick in the draft. We really like his traits.”
His tenure in Denver may not be a long one though.
Last month, the Broncos declined Wilson’s $22.4 million fifth-year option for 2025, according to multiple reports, meaning he could be a free agent after next season.