‘Got a plan’: Payton skips Wilson in QB rotation

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton would not say he had trimmed the starting quarterback competition down to two, but he did skip Zach Wilson‘s turn in the rotation Tuesday.

After Jarrett Stidham practiced with the starters Saturday and rookie Bo Nix did so Monday, Wilson was next in line to get the majority of work with the starters in the rotation that Payton has used throughout the offseason program as well as the first week of training camp.

Wilson, however, was with the third-team offense Tuesday. Instead, Stidham spent the day with the starters as Nix worked with the second-team offense much of the time.

“Look, we’ve got a plan,” Payton said when asked about the change in the order. “Bo ran with the 1s [Monday], Zach with the 2s; today, it was [Stidham] with the 1s. No news to announce there. I know you’re looking for it, but …”

Asked if Wilson would get additional opportunities with the first-team offense moving forward, Payton added: “We’ll see.”

The three had split the work with the starters evenly: Stidham has gone first in the order, Nix second and Wilson third.

At least until Tuesday.

Payton has not said he has a formal timetable to make the starter decision to open the season Sept. 9 at the Seattle Seahawks, but he had said the rotation could change before the Broncos were too deep into training camp.

Stidham started the final two games of the 2023 season after Payton benched Russell Wilson. Nix, the 12th overall pick in April’s draft, is the first rookie who Payton has had in a quarterback competition in his long run as a head coach.

The Broncos acquired Wilson, a former No. 2 pick of the draft, in a trade with the New York Jets just before the draft.

“It’s a healthy thing,” Stidham said of the competition this week. “It’s one of those things. Every year, their job upstairs is to bring in people they think can help the football team. And guys that are on the team, their job is to keep their job.”