2023 hasn’t been the rebound many Denver Broncos fans hoped for with the arrival of Sean Payton to the Mile High City. Before the season, Payton himself states he would be disappointed if Denver was unable to make a playoff run, but after a couple tough losses at home to the Raiders and Commanders, followed up with a rout in Miami, many fans in Broncos Country have been calling for a full rebuild and to tank for Caleb Williams, who is widely considered to be a generational prospect from USC.

While Russell Wilson’s time in Denver has not been what the former Seahawks franchise quarterback and the Broncos would have wished it would be, it is important to consider the potential aftermath of parting ways with Wilson after this year. Such a decision would not only be detrimental to Denver from a financial standpoint, as it would incur significant cap penalties amounting to $85 million next season, but it would also overlook the strides Wilson has made in his performance.

Despite the challenges he has faced, Wilson has showcased improvement on the field, demonstrating his ability to lead the team effectively and looking more like his former self. His improvement cannot be understated, and his veteran presence and play style have proven to be an asset for the Broncos as he has brought the team back already on several occasions putting Denver in the position to win games. While the team may not have achieved the desired level of success during his tenure, it would be premature to discount the progress that has been made under Payton.

Furthermore, Wilson’s current performance suggests that he is more than capable of leading the team to overcome their playoff drought. His consistent quality of play and leadership qualities and history make him the best candidate to build around for future success. With a decent draft and George Paton collecting picks to put the missing pieces Denver lost with not having first and second round draft picks the last couple seasons Wilson has the potential to elevate the Broncos to and fulfill their goal of ending the playoff drought next year he has done it before.

It would be unwise for the Broncos to move on from Wilson considering the ramifications cutting him would create both financially and in terms of team development. By investing in Wilson for the next three years and giving him the tools he needs to succeed, Denver can position themselves for a brighter future and a return to playoff contention. With Wilson at the helm, the Broncos have a chance to turn their fortunes around and achieve the success far quicker than moving on with a rookie quarterback.

Under Payton in 2023 Wilson through six games is in top half in completion percentage and yards, 5th in the league in touchdown passes with 13 to only 4 interceptions and 7th in the league with a rating of 99.0. Even with all the improvements in just six games Wilson is somehow being deemed not the solution after a horrible start by the defense under Vance Joseph.

If Denver had Wilson on a cap-friendly deal and wanted to draft a QB with Wilson being 34, then ok, I can see the benefit. But to drop a top-half future Hall of Fame quarterback, having a good season, after what Denver gave up to get him after only one season in Peyton’s system makes absolutely no sense anyway the options present themselves.

Denver will not be ending their playoff drought with Williams or Drake Maye under center next year. The roster has too many holes along on both sides of the ball where drafting a quarterback would make sense next year early.

The solution? Denver needs to keep Wilson, understand that the primary objective of this season was for Sean Payton to fix him, which appears to be on target, and then go into next season looking to upgrade either the offensive tackle position or the defensive line. If Denver decides to draft their future quarterback and develop in the middle rounds, then that would be a better solution than moving on from Wilson with an early first-round quarterback.