Zach Wilson’s time with the Broncos may not last too long.
The team declined the fifth-year option on Wilson’s rookie deal, according to multiple reports, meaning the former 2021 first-round pick by the Jets could be a free agent after the 2024 season.
The Broncos had until Thursday to make a decision on the fifth-year option that would have paid Wilson a guaranteed $22.408 million for the 2025 season, according to ESPN.
It will give the former Jets draft pick a chance to prove himself during the upcoming season after a tough tenure in the Big Apple that saw him throw 23 touchdown passes and 25 interceptions while posting a 57 percent completion rate during his three seasons.
The situation came to a head this season when he struggled after Aaron Rodgers went down four plays into the 2023 campaign with a torn Achilles.
He will get a fresh start in Denver, though he’ll be one of several QBs in the mix.
Denver has Ben DiNucci and Jarrett Stidham already on the roster along with Wilson.
The Broncos also drafted Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick on Thursday and head coach Sean Payton has said that everybody will get a look.
“They’re all going to compete,” Payton said, according to ESPN.Â
Payton had also expressed excitement about having Wilson in the fold for 2024.
“We were really happy to bring Zach on board,” Payton said. “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.”
The moves bringing in Wilson and Nix this offseason begins a fresh start for the Broncos after things didn’t work out with Russell Wilson, who was released and signed with the Steelers.