The Pittsburgh Steelers seem confident Russell Wilson will be their starting quarterback when they travel to Denver in Week 2. The Broncos are less sure who will be in their lineup. After dumping Wilson in March, Sean Payton has three options at quarterback entering the summer. The veteran Jarrett Stidham, the traded-for-bust Zach Wilson, and the new rookie Box Nix. All different paths, all different stories, all trying to prove themselves.
“They’re all orphaned dogs,” head coach Sean Payton said Friday via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon. “They’ve come from somewhere, but they’re doing good. It’s a good room.”
Stidham replaced Wilson for the final two games of 2024, going 1-1 as starter with nearly 500 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Originally drafted by the New England Patriots in 2019, he rarely played there before reuniting with Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas for 2022. He started two games there before signing with Denver ahead of 2023.
Wilson was a mess with the Jets. New York attempted to reset in 2023, acquiring Aaron Rodgers in an attempt to take the pressure off Wilson, allowing him to sit and learn as the backup. But Rodgers tore his Achilles four snaps into the season, forcing Wilson into action. Over 12 games, he barely completed 60 percent of his passes, nearly as many picks (seven) as touchdowns (eight) and continued to make baffling decisions.
Nix was the apple of Payton’s eye, reportedly higher on him than any other team in the draft. He became the sixth quarterback selected in a record-setting class, taken 12th overall. Given his older age and college experience, Nix feels like the frontrunner to start the season. But he’ll have to earn the job, outplaying Stidham and Wilson.
“They’re all in a race to learn this system,” Payton said. “I would say — you guys watched the practice — they’re doing well.”
Whoever can run the nuts and bolts of Payton’s system should win the job. And it could be any three of them. If not Nix, Stidham feels like he has the next-best-chance while Wilson would have to display consistency he never has before to pull off the upset as Broncos’ starter. Steelers’ fans may root for Wilson but the last time Pittsburgh saw him, Wilson led a fourth quarter comeback as a Jet to beat the Steelers. This competition will be one of the external storylines to monitor heading into the new season.
