The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are the greatest obstacle the Los Angeles Chargers must overcome in the AFC West. It goes without saying that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs must be the team to beat on the way to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl victory.
But Kansas City is not the only team in the division, and the Chargers stand to gain if the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders perform poorly. Because neither club has a reliable starting quarterback as of yet, the Chargers seem to have the advantage over both. We all know Tom Telesco will make a poor choice because the Raiders hired him, and the Broncos missed the opportunity to get Justin Fields even though they didn’t have a top overall pick.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Sean Payton, the head coach of the Broncos, is confident that he can develop or discover a quarterback who can lead Denver to success. It’s unclear who that quarterback will be, and the Broncos aren’t looking for the best choices after trading for Russell Wilson, to put it bluntly.
Mike Klis of Denver’s NBC station, 9News, claims that the Broncos tried to sign two average quarterbacks and failed both times. The quarterbacks, those guys? Sam Howell and Sam Darnold.
“Reliable sources inform 9NEWS that the Broncos were involved in the deal for Washington quarterback Sam Howell and expressed interest in free agent Sam Darnold. But both came at a great cost: Howell was traded to Seattle in exchange for two draft picks that yielded late-third-round value, while Darnold signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Minnesota.”
Chargers fans will find great humor in the Broncos’ misguided attempts to add subpar quarterbacks.
It’s difficult to determine which is funnier—that the Broncos were unable to sign two starting quarterbacks who are not among the top 30 at their position, or that Denver has reduced to using these quarterbacks as its starting choices.
Sam Darnold has never had a run of games where he performs well consistently—he was a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers the previous season. Had he not received first-round draft selections in the past, it’s likely that he would not have the opportunities he does now in 2024.
While Howell’s athleticism is intriguing, he is a turnover maker and does not play winning football. Howell started for the Washington Commanders in the previous season. He can certainly fill in as a backup, but a team that aspires to win should not start him.
Additionally, neither of these men shouts “veteran who should start ahead of a rookie.” In the Raiders’ case, at least, they added Gardner Minshew to oppose a rookie who very certainly won a high pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With his background, Minshew is a capable backup safety net who can step in when the youngster isn’t ready. Howell and Darnold aren’t qualified for that.
The Broncos’ decision to target these two players also seems to suggest that they are aware that they won’t pick any exceptional players in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos may select the fifth, sixth, or even seventh-best quarterback in the draft with the 12th overall pick.
For Chargers supporters, Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler, and Michael Penix Jr. are not necessarily names to be concerned about. The Broncos will drop a quarterback after trading for Russell Wilson, for whatever reason.
After a year of rumors linking Payton to the Bolts, Chargers supporters were furious when the Broncos hired him a year ago. With a franchise quarterback behind center, the Chargers now have an even better head coach without having to pay for a draft pick.
