In 2015, Peyton Manning played his last year of football with the Denver Broncos. Then, in 2024, they found their new franchise quarterback in Bo Nix. Between those years, they found themselves in quarterback purgatory, bouncing from placeholders to busts to under-performers. In that span, 14 different quarterbacks tried to become the next Denver staple, but none of them were up to the task.
Unfortunately, an article covering every quarterback since Manning would be too long and, frankly, too depressing. Sorry to all the diehard Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch fans out there. Anyway, let’s take a look at all eight Broncos starting QBs since 2020 and separate the good from the bad and the bad from the very bad.
8. Kendall Hinton
For true Broncos fans, Kendall Hinton is a no-brainer. That is, if he even counts as a quarterback.
In 2020, Denver quarterback Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19. As a result of the protocols at the time, fellow quarterbacks Drew Lock and Brett Rypien were also forced to quarantine. Thus, Hinton, an undrafted free agent receiver on their practice squad, was elevated to the active roster. Having played quarterback in his junior year at Wake Forest, he was the only available Broncos player with recent QB experience.
After little to no preparation, Denver trotted him on the field against the Saints in Week 12 of 2020. The Broncos got murdered by New Orleans, losing 31-3. Hinton went 1-for-9 for 13 yards while also throwing two interceptions.
Given that he is not a true quarterback, putting him on this list seems unfair. However, he is listed on all databases as a starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. So, with only one career completion, which didn’t even cross the line of scrimmage through the air, Hinton is an obvious last choice.
7. Jeff Driskel
Jeff Driskel, along with the next two names, Jarrett Stidham and Brett Rypien, could all be looped together. None of the three started more than three games for Denver. Though all three have limited experience with the Broncos, Driskel has the least, having only started one game.
Driskel’s first appearance for the Broncos was actually solid. Starter Drew Lock injured his shoulder early in their 2020 Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Driskel came in and played most of the game, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Ultimately, though, Denver lost, and as he wasn’t the starter, Driskel would not have received credit for the victory even if they had won.
In Week 3, though, he was given the start as Lock was still hurt. Against an elite Buccaneers team, he threw for 176 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He got pulled in the fourth quarter as fellow backup Rypien stepped in, and they ended up losing 28-10. To make matters worse, he then got COVID-19 from disobeying protocols, which led to the aforementioned Hinton fiasco. The Broncos released him at the end of the year.
In all honesty, he wasn’t terrible in the games that he played. However, with more forced COVID quarantines than wins, Driskel secures the seventh spot.
6. Jarrett Stidham
Jarrett Stidham somewhat falls into the Hinton category of getting penalized after being put in a tough position. But we’ll get to that in a bit.
In his seven-year career, Stidham has been a career backup. After putting up some solid numbers for the Raiders in 2022, the Broncos signed him as theirs. Then, in 2023, after Denver moved on from Russell Wilson (more on that later), Stidham got his chance. In two games, he went 1-1. In his victory against the Chargers, he threw for 224 yards and a touchdown. Then, in his loss against the Raiders, he threw for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Solid numbers from a solid backup, it would seem.
Then, in the 2025 postseason, disaster struck. Bo Nix broke his ankle in the Divisional Round, and the Broncos had no choice but to start Stidham in the AFC Conference Championship.
Clearly, the lights were too bright.
Or, more accurately, the snow was too thick.
After a deep ball to Marvin Mims to set up a touchdown in the first quarter, Denver fans had full faith in “Stiddy.” However, that was their only score of the game. Stidham threw for only 133 yards, which he topped off with a back-breaking, game-losing interception. Granted, the second half blizzard did not help his chances.
Like Hinton, putting Stidham in that game was a lot to ask. Fair or unfair, though, his performance cost the Broncos a chance in the Super Bowl, so here he sits at six.
5. Brett Rypien
After taking Driskel’s role and with Lock still injured, Rypien got the starting nod in Week 4 of 2020 against the Jets. In that game, he produced a mixed bag. He threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. With help from running back Melvin Gordon and kicker Brandon McManus, Rypien led Denver to a 37-28 victory. Despite his win, Lock had healed from his injury and was back at the helm by Week 5. Rypien, meanwhile, did not see the field again until 2022.
Rypien got his next chance in Week 7 against the Jets once again when starter Russell Wilson suffered a hamstring injury. In that game, he disappointed heavily. Denver lost 16-9. Rypien threw for 224 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception despite attempting a staggering 46 passes. He got another chance in Week 15 against the Cardinals when Wilson was dealing with a concussion. In that matchup, he led the Broncos to a 24-15 victory. His performance, though, was not memorable, as he threw for under 200 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Frankly, Rypien could easily be swapped with Driskel or Stidham. Honestly, they could also all share a spot. But he received the higher ranking for being the only one of the three with a winning record.
And for not costing the Broncos a Super Bowl opportunity or infecting an entire quarterback room.
4. Teddy Bridgewater
At last, we have made it to the actual starting quarterbacks. The Broncos brought in Teddy Bridgewater for the 2021 season to compete with Lock for the starting role. Bridgewater won the battle and went on to start 14 games for Denver that season.
He embodied the idea of a placeholder quarterback all season. He played just well enough to be a starting NFL quarterback, but not well enough for Denver to consider him for the future. In those 14 games, Bridgewater went 7-7, throwing for over 3,000 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He had his moments, throwing for over 300 yards twice. However, with two concussions and a lack of consistency, he was never going to move the needle.
Still, he was a safe, steady option that did his job. No more, and no less.
3. Drew Lock
If this list were to be based on how beloved these Broncos QBs are, then putting Lock behind Wilson would be laughable. In that list, Wilson might be last. Nevertheless, when it comes to the numbers, Lock has earned himself the third spot.
Lock is the first quarterback listed to have started over five games in more than one season for Denver. The Broncos took the former Missouri Tiger in the second round, though he was mostly projected to go in the first. After being heavily linked to Denver, they finally traded for the 42nd pick to take him. Then, after 11 games of Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen, he finally got his chance.
Lock’s stint with the Broncos was like a roller coaster: bumpy but also pretty fun.
At first, he looked like the quarterback of the future, leading Denver to a 4-1 record. Many fans still look back fondly on his 300+ yard, three-touchdown victory against the Texans in Week 14.
So, entering the 2020 season, all eyes were on Lock to reach his full potential. After a Week 1 loss to the Titans, he injured his throwing shoulder. He missed three games, and when he came back, he could never truly get going. He went 4-9, throwing for 16 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and under 3,000 yards. Lock frustrated fans because he would have moments where he looked incredible. He threw for over 250 yards in seven of his 13 games, but he also had five games with multiple interceptions.
After that season, they brought in Bridgewater, and he was never the guy again. He ranks higher due to the hope he gave Denver fans and the firepower he could often provide, but ultimately, he couldn’t put it all together.
2. Russell Wilson
If this were a list of disappointing Broncos QBs since 2020, Wilson would easily take the first spot. So the fact that he’s the second-best goes to show just how tragic Denver’s quarterback play was this decade.
After a mediocre 2022 season, the Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire the former superstar Seahawk. After the move, Denver’s expectations were incredibly high. But instead of rising to the occasion, Wilson faltered heavily. He went 4-11 that season, throwing for 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and just over 3,500 yards. All that media attention he had helped garner made every loss hurt fans more and more.
Still, Denver gave him another shot in 2o23. The Broncos had fired rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett, traded for legendary coach Sean Payton, and retooled the roster. With Payton, Wilson looked much better. He even rattled off an impressive five-game win streak against some of the league’s top teams. He improved to 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the same number of starts. But the 3,070 yards were not enough. Payton helped Wilson’s play immensely, but he still lacked heart, pocket presence, and other such factors that no coach can fix.
Denver cut their losses and waived him, taking on a record amount of dead cap. Wilson’s numbers alone may not look too awful, but when accounting for the excitement and optimism around the trade, his performance fails to meet expectations. Still, his two years’ worth of stats were enough to earn him the second spot.
1. Bo Nix
In about as massive a margin as possible between a best and second-best quarterback, Nix beats Wilson for the #1 position on the list. Given how tragic the past quarterbacks had been, Nix revitalized a fanbase that was not only becoming desperate—they already were.
Denver drafted Nix with the 12th pick in the 2024 Draft. At the time, many questioned the decision. Still, the Broncos demonstrated their trust, giving him the reins for his entire rookie season. In his first two years, he struggled at times. He finished both seasons with double-digit interceptions, and he occasionally made poor decisions and inaccurate throws. Still, he was everything Denver could have asked for.
In his rookie season, Nix threw for 29 touchdowns and over 3,700 yards. With plenty of help from the defense, he led the Broncos to a 10-7 record and a Wild Card spot. Then, the year after, with Nix at the helm, Denver went 14-3, topping the entire conference. After some late-game heroics from Nix, the Broncos advanced past the Divisional Round. But, having broken his ankle, they stood no chance in the Conference Championship.
The change in stats from year one to year two does not signal much growth. But for Denver fans who watch each week, the maturity is very clear. Even as an inconsistent rookie, Nix’s arm strength, mobility, and clutch factor set him apart from other signal callers. Now, as he enters his third year, and with the Broncos being a true contender, his mistakes should only decrease.
As Denver prepares for their third year with Nix, fans should use this opportunity to be grateful for him and for their recent and potential successes. After Manning retired in 2015, they have learned the hard way just how hard it can be to find a franchise quarterback.
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