The Denver Broncos won Sunday’s preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. What many felt was going to be a backup quarterback battle going into the game ended up turning into more of a potential showcase for Zach Wilson to other NFL teams.
Denver Broncos vs. Arizona Cardinals
Here were three things that defined the Denver Broncos home preseason finale against the Cardinals this afternoon. With Bo Nix already being named the team’s starting quarterback for this season, Broncos fans saw Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson get reps under center.
Zach Wilson showcase more of an Albert O situation?
Jarrett Stidham got the start for the Broncos offense on Sunday and helped lead the team downfield for a scoring drive on his first series. He went 2-of-4 passing for 28 yards, including a 14-yard catch and run to rookie receiver Devaughn Vele on 4th and 2.
Zach Wilson came in for the offense’s second series of the game and saw the rest of the reps for the day. His first series led to a punt, but his second series of the game saw him use his athleticism and mobility, scampering for a 21-yard gain on 2nd and 20, finding David Sills for a 23-yard gain, Nate Adkins for 19 yards, Sills again for 14-yards, before finding Adkins for a touchdown on 4th and goal.
This game had all of the vibes of Sean Payton featuring Wilson extensively, similar to what they did last preseason with Albert Okwuegbunam, which could lead to him garnering some potential trade interest from NFL teams who may be in the market for a backup quarterback like the Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and potentially the Cardinals.
For Stidham to only get a small handful of plays in this game, it’s clear that he’ll be the backup to Nix in the regular season. There’s also a possibility Denver keeps three quarterbacks on the active roster, but it doesn’t seem as likely considering some of the other positional needs facing the team.
Broncos linebacker position has quality depth
Alex Singleton is a surefire starter for Denver’s defense and it appears as if Cody Barton is the other one next to him, despite him playing in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.
Barton saw some run, but Justin Strnad and Jonas Griffith saw a good portion of the reps. One thing stood out and that is the quality of the depth at the position. Strnad came up big for Denver inside the red zone, blasting Cardinals running back Tony Jones Jr. and forcing a fumble that was recovered by Keidron Smith, who accumulated his third takeaway of the preseason in three games. He had six tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble in the first half alone.
.@jsgarbs forces the fumble 💥@KeidronS recovers 🙌
📺: CBS | #AZvsDEN pic.twitter.com/R4zJ9t6ofB
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 25, 2024
Griffith and Strnad were stout against the run in the action they saw and have demonstrated all throughout training camp and the preseason that they can be quality backups in the event of an injury. Sunday’s game against the Cardinals helped solidify that.
Denver’s youth movement paying off for them
With nearly most of Denver’s starters not playing on offense or defense, a lot of the Broncos’ younger players had a larger showcase in all three phases of the game. Whether that be on offense, defense, or special teams, a handful of players stood out and made plays, including a handful of rookies like Devaughn Vele, Audric Estime, Jonah Elliss, Kris Abrams-Draine, or a handful of other young players like Tyler Badie, Blake Watson, Nate Adkins, Jordan Jackson, Dondrea Tillman, and Keidron Smith.
94-yard 🏡 call for @LevelleBailey6‼️
📺: CBS | #AZvsDEN pic.twitter.com/OkZIkfDHdf
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 25, 2024
Some will make the roster, and some won’t, but the amount of noticeable contributions from Denver’s younger players throughout the entire preseason have stood out as Payton and the team have fully embraced a youth movement. A handful of these players who end up released, will more than likely find their way back on the practice squad this week to develop further.