The Denver Broncos have a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2016, but that does not mean the team won't make major changes in the coming offseason. The team faces off against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18, and they are also projected to be over the 2024 cap number.
They are going to have to part with some players in order to get their cap space in the green, and that could look like trades and outright releases. The Broncos have had an up and down year, beginning the season 1-5 but rattling off five wins in a row to get to 6-5. Well, since getting to 6-5, they have gone 2-3 over their last five games, which has put a dagger in the heart of their playoff chances.
They are officially eliminated, but potentially getting to 9-8 to end the year would mean they finished the season 8-3 after that 1-5 start. Just imagine if Denver would have just split their first six games...
Anyway, there are a few Broncos players who are on the hot seat as we enter the final week of the 2023 NFL Season. Who are they?
3 Denver Broncos on the hot seat entering Week 18 of 2023 season
1. Russell Wilson, QB
This one is pretty obvious. The Broncos sent Russell Wilson to the bench before their Week 17 tilt versus the Los Angeles Chargers. And even though the Broncos were missing both Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr, the offense largely looked the same with Jarrett Stidham under center, and that's kind of the point.
The move to bench Wilson was likely a financial and performance-based move, no matter what the PR says from the Wilson side and the Denver side. As with most things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, and now Wilson will have to wait and see what his status is with the Broncos beyond this year. He apparently moved his family to Denver and envisioned playing for the team for a while.
But Wilson's empty stats this year might be enough for the Broncos to go in a different direction in 2024.
2. Jerry Jeudy, WR
As a Broncos fan, I have heard every excuse in the book as to why Jerry Jeudy has not broken out yet. Well, folks, maybe Jeudy simply is not as good as we originally thought. Jeudy has had an up and down tenure in Denver since being drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He had a solid rookie season and third season, eclipsing at least 850 receiving yards in both years.
He's had a pretty uninspiring year this year, and has had numerous chances to break out. In fact, Jeudy had three missteps in the team's Week 14 game versus the Chargers. He dropped two long passes from Russell Wilson and was unable to get a second foot in bounds on what was supposed to be a routine touchdown catch.
The team picked up Jeudy's fifth-year option, so he is under contract in 2024. It's not a huge number, and I don't see the Broncos sticking with Jeudy unless he gives them a reason to do so. Jeudy would have to go bonkers in Week 18 for the Broncos to consider keeping him. And with fellow WR Courtland Sutton also having just one year left on his contract, the Broncos' WR room could look a lot different in 2024.
3. George Paton, General Manager
When Russell Wilson got benched, that could have spelled the end of the tenure for General Manager George Paton in Denver. And frankly, there isn't a lot of good that has come from Paton's tenure. The hire back in 2021 was praised league-wide, but his non-NFL Draft decisions have really put a skid mark on his tenure.
Firing Vic Fangio was a mistake, it seems. Hiring Nathaniel Hackett was a colossal mistake. Trading for Russell Wilson was a bad idea, and his free agencies were just downright awful including swinging and missing on guys like Randy Gregory, DJ Jones, and K'Waun Williams. Paton just does not have a ton going for him outside of drafting Patrick Surtain II and... maybe Nik Bonitto?
George Paton is a strong evaluator of talent, and might be better suited to have some sort of head college scouting role. And considering that head coach Sean Payton has the final roster authority, I don't think Paton is going to want to continue serving in his current GM role if he does not have final say.
Could there be a scenario where Paton's job is tweaked a bit and he remains in Denver? Sure, but I also think it's a very real possibility that Paton gets fired at year's end.