Zach Wilson hasn’t been in Denver very long, but the quarterback has already earned praise from his new head coach.

In April, Wilson was traded by the New York Jets to the Denver Broncos and what has since become a crowded quarterback room.

The former second overall pick joined returning quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who started the Broncos’ final two games last season after Russell Wilson was benched. Denver then drafted Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in last month’s draft.

What has Sean Payton said about Zach Wilson and Denver’s quarterbacks?

On Thursday, Sean Payton said all three quarterbacks will and have split reps with the starters during OTAs.

Stidham took the first-team reps on Tuesday, Wilson took them on Wednesday and Nix took them Thursday.

“There’s going to be a time when you read into the reps, I don’t think it’s early in OTAs,” Payton said, according to The Associated Press.

Payton sounded impressed by what he saw from each of his quarterbacks after the end of the first week of OTAs.

“They’re all in a race to learn this system,” he said. “Man, they’re doing well.”

The Broncos’ quarterback room is filled with players looking for a new beginning and the opportunity for a fresh start as an NFL starting quarterback.

“You know, it’s kind of the orphan group,” Payton said. “They’re all orphan dogs. They come from somewhere. But they’re doing good.”

Zach Wilson can see the logic in his coach’s dog metaphor.

“It’s been three years of tough challenges,” he said. “But in the end that’s what makes you stronger, and you just need somebody to believe in you and believe in yourself.”

What has Zach Wilson said about his trade to the Broncos?

Wilson told reporters Thursday that he misses his former Jets teammates but is looking forward to starting a new chapter of his career with the Broncos.

“You know, obviously, there’s bittersweet moments in everything. I was grateful for my experiences (in New York) and the guys. I miss the guys out there and everything, too. But at the same time, a fresh start is good,” he said, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. “I’m excited to attack a new challenge.”

He’s also excited to learn from Payton, who was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints for 15 seasons and won a Super Bowl with the Saints prior to becoming the head coach in Denver.

“I loved watching him and Drew (Brees) back in the day and just the efficiency they played with, how consistent it was, how explosive they were as an offense and just taking what the defense gives you,” he told Tomasson. “(I’m) just looking to keep growing and learning every single day from him.”

The Broncos have been looking for their franchise quarterback since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired. Manning was the last quarterback to lead Denver to the playoffs, which was the season they went on to win the Super Bowl. He reached out to Wilson upon his trade to Denver, according to The Associated Press.

“I’ve grown up watching him and the way he plays the game, the way he attacks it every single day,” Wilson said of Manning. “He’s a legend out here. So, hopefully I can spend a little time picking his brain.”

The Denver Broncos are running through their OTA program and this week the media got their first look at the 2024 Broncos. Ryan Edwards from KOA noted one player had himself a day in third-year tight end Lucas Krull.

The former undrafted free agent who head coach Sean Payton signed to the New Orleans Saints in 2022 seems to be coming into his own with Denver this season. He made a couple of big time catches late last season where he got most of his snaps. His biggest game came against the New England Patriots in Week 15 where he hauled in four passes for 28 yards and touchdown. He finished with eight total receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown last year.

Payton had good things to say after practice yesterday too noting that ‘85’ is a number us fans are going to know in 2024.

“I thought he’s had a good week,” Payton said of Krull. “I said, ‘If you didn’t notice, everyone in the media was looking down at their rosters to see who [No.] 85 was.’ I said, ‘Someday soon, they’re going to know who 85 is.’ He’s looking sharp.”

This is a very nice development considering the concern everyone has over the return of oft-injured Greg Dulcich. His hamstring issues have plagued his entire career and the Broncos are not messing around with his progression back to the football field this time around.

“He’s close,” Payton said of Dulcich’s return from injury. “He’s had all the work done. We’re encouraged. I think you’ll see him sooner than later, and we want to be smart.”

It seems like Dulcich’s entire time spent on injured reserve has been meeting with experts to help him resolve this nagging issue. Payton confirmed that this rehab is continuing even to this day.

“Well, no,” said Payton. “The trips back and forth [is] relative to checkups. His rehab has gone well. It’s not going to be we don’t see him until training camp.”

While many fans disparage the situation with Dulcich, I’m feeling a lot more encouraged this time around. If his hamstring gives way again when he returns to the field, then its likely he’ll need to hang ‘em up. However, if that happens it won’t mean that he and the team didn’t do everything they could to give him a chance to make a career in the NFL.

With the glimpses we’ve seen of Dulcich, it is worth the effort. The guy is explosive and could be a major x-factor on the field if he remains healthy. I’m rooting for him.

However, with Krull’s emergence it gives Denver a bit of breathing room knowing they have a capable guy to pair with Dulcich this season. That is something they definitely needed.

A 15-year-old girl has been reported missing from Colorado Springs, according to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation alert.

Leah Black went missing at about 5 p.m. Thursday in the 2600 block of Gobi Drive. Leah, who was last seen wearing light blue pajama pants with ducks on them, a black top, and white Crocs, was walking south on Constitution Avenue.

Leah is described as indigenous with brown hair and brown eyes. She is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds.

If anyone sees Leah, call 9-1-1 or the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

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