Breaking: Denver Broncos trade deal of a 24-year QB has been secured

The Chicago Bears are going to try to unload Justin Fields this offseason. One team that is going to be linked to them until the very end of this saga is the Denver Broncos. There are obvious reasons to tie the two.

Could the Denver Broncos trade the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields?

The Denver Broncos are one of the only teams to publicly admit that they are moving on from their quarterback. Sean Payton and Russell Wilson did not work out together, and the Broncos will look for a new quarterback. So, the only team so open about it, while also not having a top-three pick will get rumored to be players for Justin Fields. Sean Payton did want to turn Taysom Hill into a starter, and Fields would be more athletic and a better passer.

Still, as we noted, Payton is also particular at quarterback. He had Drew Brees for years, and while he wanted to turn Hil into a quarterback, that never actually happened. Payton knows how to work with quarterbacks who play on schedule, stick to the script, and execute the play the way it is expected. That is why he got along with Brees so well. That is why he butted heads with Wilson so much.

Does that really sound like a guy who will go all in for Justin Fields? Fields definitely plays more like Wilson than Brees if that is what Payton is looking for.

On paper, there may not be a better fit for Justin Fields than the Denver Broncos. Behind the scenes and on a personal level, it feels like the Broncos will not even call the Chicago Bears about Fields.

Tony Romo thinks Sean Payton can get the best out of the Broncos’ next QB

Few know better about how Sean Payton works with a quarterback than Tony Romo.

For three years in Dallas, Romo and Payton worked together. Romo was the undrafted rookie arriving in 2003. Payton was the offensive coordinator, joining Dallas after a 4-year stint with the New York Giants.

And one thing became clear to Romo then and remains so today:

“Well, I think Sean adjusts to his quarterback,” the NFL on CBS analyst said of his former coach.

Longtime Cowboys QB Tony Romo played three years with Sean Payton in Dallas when Payton was Cowboys offensive coordinator, and Romo learned this:

“Sean adjusts to his quarterback. … And Sean’s going to get the best out of you.” pic.twitter.com/08Fwg8Znen

That matters regarding the hindsight outlook regarding Russell Wilson. It’s also relevant as the Broncos and Sean Payton make their plan for the position and life beyond Wilson if they move on from the 12-year veteran quarterback — whether it’s by adding a draft pick, bringing in a veteran or both.

“I think the biggest thing for him — for any quarterback playing with Sean — is just immersing yourself in football,” Romo continued.

“And Sean’s going to get the best out of you. And sometimes your environment matters, right? Sean’s gonna adjust to whether he has good offensive linemen or not-good receivers.”

The evidence for Sean Payton getting the best from his quarterback goes back to his time in New Orleans, when fill-in Teddy Bridgewater and 2021 starter Jameis Winston both played the best football of their careers. Bridgewater’s 2019 stint was cut short by Drew Brees’ return to the lineup, although he parlayed that into a sizable contract and a starting job the following year in Carolina. Winston started seven games and posted a 14-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

If Payton can extract that from whoever flings passes for him this season, then the other areas in which the Broncos progressed last year will matter.

“Year one, I thought they really came on,” Romo said. “I thought he did an incredible job of really figuring out his own team. And I think you’re gonna see that improve next year.”

But doing that remains difficult in the AFC West minefield.

“Now, they’re in a really difficult division. You’ve got some of the greatest coaches ever. Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, now. Sean Payton. So, to me, it’s one of those where you could do everything right and still not win.

“But I think you’re gonna find very quickly that Sean will figure it all out.”