The Denver Broncos have an interesting quarterback room going into the summer.
The depth chart is currently topped by incumbent journeyman Jarrett Stidham, a 27-year-old veteran who played with three different teams through his first four seasons in the NFL.
Behind Stidham is 24-year-old vet Zach Wilson, a former second-overall pick who was cast aside by the New York Jets this offseason in a late-round pick swap that sent him to Denver.
Then there’s 24-year-old rookie Bo Nix, who transferred from Auburn to Oregon in college and was the sixth quarterback taken in the NFL draft earlier this offseason.
All three have faced difficulties in their football journeys.
“Good,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday when asked for his first impressions of Wilson. “It’s kind of the orphan group. They’ll all orphaned dogs. They’ve come from somewhere, but they’re doing well. It’s a good room.”
The quarterbacks have been rejected by various teams in their careers and Payton took them in. He clearly has a soft spot for rescue dogs.
In 2014, Payton and his foundation paid for the training of a rescue dog that went on to become a service dog for a military veteran. Last fall, Payton and Broncos co-owner Carrie Walton Penner announced that have sponsored the training of two more service dogs for veterans.
Payton’s remark can certainly be interpreted in a positive way. Here’s a sampling of how Twitter reacted to the “orphan dogs” comment.
Stidham, Nix and Wilson will compete for the starting job during training camp. We’ll find out who will emerge as the top dog later this summer.
