Sean Payton ‘loves’ J.J. McCarthy and wants to bring the Michigan quarterback to the Broncos as he tries to find Russell Wilson’s replacement in Denver
Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy is reportedly attracting plenty of attention in Denver with Broncos coach Sean Payton ‘enamored’ by him.
The Broncos currently hold the No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft but are looking for a new quarterback with Russell Wilson expected to depart.
Some analysts have projected McCarthy to be selected within the top-10 picks, which may mean the Broncos will need to trade up if they want to land him.
‘There’s just a little bit of steam that’s beginning to emerge locally that Sean Payton loves J.J. McCarthy,’ said KFAN’s Paul Allen.
‘He’s a quarterback from a pro-style offense with a strong arm … a pretty reliable individual informed me over the weekend that Payton is quite enamored with J.J. McCarthy.’
Last season McCarthy finished the year with 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions during Michigan’s title winning campaign under Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh, who has since left Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers, recently praised his former quarterback while appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
‘Arm talent, athleticism, it-factor, winning with numbing repetition. Don’t be surprised if, when he’s the No. 1 quarterback off the board,’ he said. ‘That’s my prediction right now.
‘When people get a load of J.J. and how he can throw the ball, how he spins it, his athleticism, his intelligence.
‘Talk about “it-factor,” he’s got it. The competitiveness that he has, and they get around him, and they really start digging in, and they start talking to him.’
Most draft experts currently consider McCarthy as the fourth best QB prospect in this year’s draft behind USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and UNC’s Drake Maye.
Wilson has had a rough two seasons in Denver and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold recently claimed ‘almost no one in the league’ expects the 35-year-old QB to return to the Broncos.
The nine-time Pro Bowler had been benched during the final two games of the season due to what Broncos head coach Sean Payton referred to as a ‘football decision.’
Although many speculated the move was to ensure Wilson did not get hurt due to the $37million he would have been guaranteed for the 2025 season if he picked up an injury and could not pass a physical by the fifth day of the new league year this March.
Wilson himself claimed the team had given him an ultimatum to either adjust the guarantee or be sat for the remainder of the season shortly after he engineered a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 2013 Super Bowl Champion had signed a five-year, $242.6 million back in 2022 and was already guaranteed $39 million in 2024.
