After benching quarterback Russell Wilson, the Denver Broncos have turned the offense over to Jarrett Stidham, at least for a two-game stretch.

Denver’s quarterback plan beyond the 2023 season is uncertain. The Broncos insist that they have not made a long-term decision on Wilson yet, but the quarterback expects to be released by the team in March.

Assuming that happens, Stidham would be left as the only quarterback on the roster going into 2024 (Ben DiNucci will become an unrestricted free agent in March if he’s not added to the 53-man roster before Week 18).

So, what’s the plan for next season? Peter King of NBC Sports believes Stidham could be Sean Payton’s QB1 entering 2024.

“Unless Jarrett Stidham absolutely stinks in the last two weeks, I believe the Broncos will enter 2024 with Jarrett Stidham as their quarterback and see what happens,” King said last week. “They’ll bring somebody else in [to pair with him].”

It’s not a far-fetched take — in fact, Broncos Wire shares the same opinion. Drafting a promising young QB to develop behind Stidham would give the team a cap-friendly path forward while they eat Wilson’s dead money.

Stidham is set to have a salary cap hit of $7 million next season. The 14th overall pick in next year’s draft is estimated to have a cap hit just north of $3 million. Having their top two quarterbacks account for $10 million worth of cap space might be the best course of action for Denver in 2024.

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Story originally appeared on Broncos Wire