QB J.J. McCarthy visited with the Broncos during the NFL combine.
Within the next two weeks, quarterback Russell Wilson is anticipated to be released by the Denver Broncos, and the franchise has already begun searching for a possible successor.
Broncos general manager George Paton announced during his speech at the NFL combine on Tuesday that the organization had planned a meeting with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy for that evening.
Other quarterback candidates will also meet with Denver; Paton brought up McCarthy’s meeting in particular as the general manager was questioned about the QB.
The Broncos have been strongly associated with McCarthy as the NFL draft approaches. McCarthy assisted the Wolverines in winning a national championship the previous year. Paul Allen of KFXN-FM revealed last week that he was informed by a “quite reliable individual” that Sean Payton is “quite enamored” with McCarthy.
McCarthy may be available at Denver’s current first-round choice of No. 12, despite some draft analysts projecting the quarterback to be among the top ten. Detroit will host the NFL draft from April 25–27.
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Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos had a dramatic end to the 2023 season.
With two games remaining, coach Sean Payton benched Wilson and justified his decision by saying Jarrett Stidham could give the offense a spark. Wilson later publicly said the team had threatened to bench him weeks earlier if he did not revise his contract, but Payton has insisted that he made a football decision, not a financial one.
Regardless of whether or not Wilson was benched over his contract, the two sides had an awkward ending to the 2023 campaign that will now carry over into the 2024 offseason.
Payton has said the team will not drag out a decision on Wilson’s future with the club. Wilson’s $37 million salary for the 2025 season is scheduled to become guaranteed on March 17, so the team seems likely to make a decision by that deadline.
What comes next for Wilson and the Broncos? Here are five potential next steps for the quarterback and Denver’s front office.
