Ranking the 5 Best Broncos starting QBs since Peyton Manning

The 5 Best Broncos starting QBs since Peyton Manning

It takes a lot to replace Peyton Manning as a quarterback. Look at the New England Patriots, the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints, the New York Giants, and the list goes on and on.

However, the quarterback position can either make or break a franchise. Pick the right QB, and you are set for a decade or two, pick the wrong one, and you are warming up for a trail of mediocrity, and choosing a lukewarm QB will guarantee you the barest minimum.

The Denver Broncos struck gold when they signed Peyton Manning to a contract following his release by an overconfident Indianapolis Colts. The Hall of Famer brought a certain swagger around perennial underachievers Denver. He ended the long-suffering franchise's playoff drought.

As a result, Peyton Manning is right up there with the Montanas and Bradys in the GOAT debate. Some argue that he's the greatest QB ever to lace the cleats, thanks to his record-setting regular season MVP count.

However, they've tried, the Denver Broncos have not been able to replace Peyton Manning. They have had a whole eleven starting quarterbacks since the Hall of Famer announced his retirement in 2016. So here we will be looking at the best five starting quarterbacks to play for the Broncos since Peyton Manning said peace out. So strap your seatbelt on;.This is about to get pretty interesting.

1. Russell Wilson

He is a giver to the community and a genuinely nice guy with nine Pro Bowl selections, a Super Bowl, and numerous accolades outside the field. Russell Wilson is a great football player and an even better human being.

The former Seattle Seahawks quarterback might not have left with the most fanfare, but there's no doubt he is right up there among the Seahawks legends and arguably their best quarterback ever. Russ is a cook in his day, combining great mobility with the ability to read complex defenses and find his man with startling precision for a QB of his height.

However, Russ has made a few questionable decisions in his NFL career, such as his decision not to run the ball in the NFL finals, his last season of discontent with the Seahawks organization, and his tendency to break under adversity.

There is no denying that Russell Wilson is the most accomplished quarterback since Peyton Manning sailed off into the sunset over five years ago. But, it remains to be seen whether his previous success can build something lasting in Denver. If not, Broncos fans will conveniently give him 245 million reasons why he should have stayed in Seattle.

2. Teddy Bridgewater

Scary Teddy Bridgewater was a helluva player in his prime, and the former Pro Bowler picked up his fair share of plaudits because of his style of play and charisma on the pitch.

Broncos fans gravitated toward him because his signing looked like it had ended with signing square pegs to fit in round holes on their offense. In the 13 games he started after joining the team for the 2021 season, he threw for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions for a passer rating of 94.9 with a 66.9 completion percentage.

This stat line showed the Broncos fans that starting him over Drew Lock wasn't a mistake. However, despite his tremendous upside, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins as the Broncos had to make room for the number one on our list, Russell Wilson.

3. Joe Flacco

Super Joe Flacco used to be a big deal at show time, and the quarterback was so good that he led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl-winning Super Bowl MVP in the process. Can you guess which other former Super Bowl MVP the Broncos had since Peyton Manning retired? We are sure you guessed right.

Flacco was a decent option at center for the Denver Broncos as he brought experience, calm, and discipline to a position that almost became cursed following Manning's retirement. Unfortunately, Joe Flacco's body would not give him a break, as whatever progress the elite QB would have made was curtailed by a bevy of injuries.

He only started eight games, and in those eight games, he had 1,822 passing yards, six touchdowns, five interceptions, and an 85.1 passer rating. At the end of the season, the Broncos decided to cut their losses and released the shot caller at the end of the 2019 season.

4. Drew Lock

Not to be confused with the dynamic Peyton Manning replacement that played for the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, Drew Lock was an entirely different breed. Joe Flacco's replacement in the 2019 season certainly did not light up any fireworks during his time with the Broncos.

A stat line of 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games is not what you would expect from a contending team's QB. Then again, when last were the Denver Broncos contenders for honors in the NFL?

The arrival of Teddy Bridgwater in 2021 pushed Drew Lock to the bench, and we are pretty sure that Broncos nation lost no sleep following his demotion to QB2.

5. Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum, Kendall Hinton, Brett Rypien, Jeff Driskel, Brandon Allen, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch...

Gosh, all we can say is that we hope that Russell Wilson does right by Denver. The Broncos fans have been crying out for a successor to Peyton Manning for over half a decade, and until now, no luck. (See what I did there). So fingers crossed, they'll let Russ cook just like Peyton Manning did.