After Denver’s head coach fired veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, leaving the Broncos to pay $37 million of Russ’ contract while he plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos signed quarterback Zach Wilson from the New York Jets.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who was a guest on Fox Sports 1’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the Broncos will also receive a seventh-round draft pick, No. 256, and send a sixth-round pick, No. 203, to the Jets.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from Thursday night until Saturday in Detroit.
New York will pay a portion of Zach Wilson’s $4.4 million roster bonus due this summer.
Wilson, 24, was the second overall choice out of Brigham Young in the 2021 NFL Draft, but in his three seasons with the Jets, he has been a bust by most standards. He has completed 57% of his throws for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions in 33 games, going 12-21.
After struggling during his first two seasons, it appeared that Wilson would be given the opportunity to study and learn as a backup when the New York Giants acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
However, those intentions were dashed when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the season opener last year, forcing Wilson to return to action and start 11 games.
Now, Payton has the opportunity to show that he can shape a flawed young quarterback into something close to Drew Brees’ standard.
That comes after rejecting Russell Wilson, who may not be as good as he once was at winning a Super Bowl and going to another, but he can still make plays and win games. It should be exciting to keep up with the Wilsons during the 2024 NFL season.
Read more:
Falcons quarterback announces his retirement from the NFL
Matt Ryan’s transfer to the commentary booth in 2023 seemed to signal the end of his playing career. The former MVP quarterback was open to returning to the field last season, but this is no longer the case.
Ryan announced his official retirement on Monday. To no surprise, he did so while still a member of the Falcons, where he spent the first 14 years of his career. The 38-year-old spent 2022 with the Colts, but his one-year stint there cleared the door for his broadcasting career to begin.
Ryan was picked third overall by the Falcons in 2008, and he remained the team’s starting quarterback until his final season in Atlanta in 2021. During that time, he was named to four Pro Bowls, with the 2016 season being the highlight, as he led the league’s highest-scoring offense. The Falcons’ prowess on that side of the ball helped propel them to the Super Bowl.
Atlanta suffered a historic collapse in the game, and the team has only made one playoff appearance since. Ryan remained a regular performer as he grew older, but he was unable to lead the Falcons to another long playoff run. Ryan was traded to the Colts in 2022 as his future became more uncertain.
Indianapolis saw Ryan’s acquisition as a long-term investment, but he failed as a starter (14 touchdowns, 13 interceptions in 12 games).
With Frank Reich out of the picture, interim head coach Jeff Saturday benched the Boston College product, foreshadowing his dismissal in March.
Ryan subsequently struck a deal with CBS while leaving the door open for a return to the NFL in the proper circumstances.
After the Jets lost Aaron Rodgers to an Achilles tear in Week 1, Ryan was identified as one of the experienced quarterbacks who approached New York about a short-term deal.
Ryan contested this, and he stayed out of the game (as a player) for the duration of the campaign. Now, he can concentrate on his broadcasting duties while reflecting on his successful stint in the league.
“So, 16 days after being drafted, my childhood ambition has finally come to an end. “I’m honored to retire as a Falcon,” Ryan wrote in part. Thank you to all Falcons fans for your continuing support… While we didn’t achieve everything we hoped for, I’m proud of what we did.”
Ryan will officially leave the game as the Falcons’ club record holder in multiple categories. In terms of career stats, he is fifth in the NFL in completions (5,551), seventh in yards (62,792), and ninth in touchdowns.
Monday’s one-day Falcons contract is the final — and, of course, least lucrative — of his remarkable career. Ryan’s career earnings topped $306 million after signing two different Atlanta contracts at nine figures.
“You have no control in this business over where you start,” Ryan remarked. “I consider myself extremely fortunate to have begun and ended my journey in Atlanta.”
