The Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks have been solid so far in the preseason, and the Broncos should consider a no-brainer at the backup position.

In this year’s draft, head coach Sean Payton did exactly what everyone expected of him: He drafted Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. 12. overall. Before that, however, the Broncos had acquired Zach Wilson from the New York Jets and already had Jarrett Stidham on the roster. Throughout the preseason, most people probably would have thought that Wilson would play like he has in the past and be third in the pecking order; I would argue that is not the case.

In two preseason games, Wilson has played within his and the offense’s capabilities and played relatively error-free football, especially without turnovers. In the shootout against the Colts, Wilson completed 10 of 13 passes for 117 yards without turnovers. Stidham completed 4 of 7 passes for 37 yards and an interception. Stidham moved the ball long before the pick (not his fault) and penalties ruined the drive, which he deserves credit for.

Fast forward to week two, when the Broncos crushed the Packers 27-2. If you look at the stats, Stidham completed 7 of 11 passes for 65 yards and another interception; that was called at the line, but still. He was able to make up some ground with a 9-yard rushing score. Wilson completed 2 of 9 passes for 29 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Wilson has made good football decisions this preseason, which, yes, I understand; it’s just the preseason.

This is where the decision as to why the Broncos should trade Stidham and keep Wilson comes in. If they traded Stidham to a hungry team (I’m looking at you, Minnesota), they would save 6 million US dollarsIf they sell Wilson, they will save around $2.7 million, according to About the cap.

From a cost perspective, it makes more sense to trade Stidham, even if Wilson has more experience as a starter. Given Wilson’s track record, it also makes more sense for a team to trade Stidham if it’s in a tight spot.

Bo Nix is ​​the starter now and in the future and should be announced as the Week 1 starter when Denver plays Seattle. Wilson should be number two. His performance in training camp has been good. Payton has spoken very positively about Wilson so far and Stidham has done nothing to show he should be number two ahead of Wilson.

So far this preseason, Payton has proven he can get the best out of Wison, and Stidham, whether it’s his fault or not, has lost the ball, which people have mocked Wilson for, and he’s had a clean preseason. Granted, Wilson was sacked for a safety against the Packers, but the defensive player was essentially unblocked.

I may be in the minority on this, and that’s totally fine, but if Nix gets hurt, I’d much rather have Wilson step in than Stidham. As long as he’s running the offense, which is all Payton asked Russell Wilson to do (it’s shocking why they didn’t get along), Zach Wilson has shown he can move the ball, make the plays, and score points.

My prediction for the pecking order in week one is that the Broncos keep three quarterbacks: Bo Nix at one, Zach Wilson at two, and Jarrett Stidham at three. Unless Wilson somehow implodes in the final preseason game, he’s earned the role of backup.