The Denver Broncos may be eyeing a replacement for Jarrett Stidham in the quarterback room behind QB1 Bo Nix next season, and have already met with him over a Zoom call, according to KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson.

Per Wilson, “Rutgers quarterback and
Gopher Football
transfer Athan Kaliakmanis had a Zoom meeting with Broncos today per a league source. He has a top 30 visit with the Bengals as well as Commanders. Also had formals with Raiders and Bengals. Will also be apart of Bears, Giants, and Eagles local prospect days
… Passed for 8,604 career yards, 55 touchdowns, 27 interceptions.”

Athan Kaliakmanis told NFL Draft On SI’s Justin Melo that he met with Broncos QB coach Logan Kilgore. Being that the team just re-signed Sam Ehlinger in free agency, it’s easy to connect the dots and see there’s probably a reason the team is talking to draft prospects in March at the QB position.

Patrick Surtain II may have forecasted future Jarrett Stidham trade

Patrick Surtain II recently spoke empathetically about the situation Stidham walked into this past January after Nix’s ankle injury following an AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. Denver ended up losing 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots, obviously missing Nix’s experience and only getting 133 passing yards, a touchdown, an interception, and three sacks in the backfield from Stidham.

“It’s tough for anybody to be in that role. Not having to play the whole year because of Bo, then having to play, not only play, but coming into the AFC Championship,” Surtain told Julian Edelman of the Games With Names podcast. “Way faster game. Faster pace, faster tempo, and I mean, it was tough all around, man.”

Looking back, could this have been Surtain feeling guilt about foreknowledge of a Stidham trade? PS2 certainly earns enough to know things like that. Maybe the New York Jets move one of their several seventh-round picks in a Stidham trade to give the Broncos an extra chance to select Kaliakmanis. The Jets could use another stable option in a QB room that’s slated to be led by a soon-to-be 36-year-old Geno Smith.

There’s nothing set in stone yet on where any of this leads. There just appear to be reasons to think Stidham could be on the move to one of the other 31 franchises at some point in the near future if you’re following Denver’s movements this offseason.