Are There Chances Of Broncos Coach Sean Payton Benching Russell Wilson?

The Broncos are certain that they have found the proper coach and quarterback combination to help them stop their six-year losing streak and seven-year postseason absence. Russell Wilson, who is coming off the worst season of his career under Nathanial Hackett, who showed to be well out of his depth as a first-time head coach last year and who didn’t even make it through his first season, will be improved by Sean Payton’s ground-based offensive designs.

However, the Broncos paid a steep price for both Wilson and Payton, giving up a combined five first-round draft selections.

Are There Chances Of Broncos Coach Sean Payton Benching Russell Wilson?

It seems like head coach Sean Payton had some reservations about backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting the preseason finale, similar to the majority of Broncos Country. However, Stidham made it clear that Payton made the correct decision by paying him after the Denver Broncos’ 41-0 thrashing of the Los Angeles Rams.

“I thought he did really well,” Payton said post-game on Saturday night. “He started off really hot. He took a shot on the one deep [pass] interference completion [and] bounced back. I thought he played well—made a lot of good decisions. I was encouraged.”

Even though the regular season hasn’t even begun, one writer thinks quarterback Russell Wilson and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s relationship is already in jeopardy.

“Maybe Wilson plays great and he and Payton live happily ever after. But the Denver Broncos starting offence didn’t look great in the preseason,” wrote Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports. “Jarrett Stidham, Wilson’s backup, was 17-of-28 for 236 yards and a touchdown in Denver’s preseason finale. He looked good, and his two-year, $10 million contract seemed like the Broncos were preparing for change.”

Compared to Wilson, Stidham had a stronger preseason. In comparison to Wilson, who completed 10-of-19 throws (52.6 per cent) for 117 yards and a touchdown, the 27-year-old completed 34-of-60 passes (56.7 per cent) for 416 yards and a score. Yet Wilson played less, so take the numbers with a grain of salt.

Stidham did start the game off well by completing his first seven passes, going on to complete 17 of 28 passes for 276 yards and a score on the night, good for a 99.1 passer rating. He had outstanding playmaking skills that went beyond merely using his arm.

With his dexterity in the pocket and one scamper that gave the Broncos 20 rushing yards on Saturday night, Stidham demonstrated his sneaky-good athleticism.

Additionally, Stidham showed true grit and toughness by remaining strong in the pocket long enough to give his receiver some breathing room before getting hit hard only nanoseconds after dumping the ball. There were a couple such thrilling plays by the Broncos.

“That is what I am called to do,” Stidham said post-game. “That is part of playing the position. If you have to stay in there and take some hits, that is part of it. I am happy to do it.”

Wilson’s instant benching by the HC seems doubtful, though. Stidham has made just two regular-season starts in his fourth season, and the Broncos committed a sizable sum of money to Wilson when they gave him a five-year agreement worth up to $245M in 2022. This makes it more difficult to move on because his cap figure for 2023 is $22M.

 

 

FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE- 

Richard Sherman Says Coach Bills Belichick Gets Away With A Lot Of Things