Star quarterback Russell Wilson's first season in Denver has been an unmitigated disaster, culminating in head coach Nathaniel Hackett's firing after just 15 games at the helm.
Meanwhile, Wilson's regression has been one of the most stunning developments of the 2022 season.
With the Broncos back in the market for their third head coach in as many years, it's obviously of the utmost importance for them to hire not only a good coach, but specifically one who can get Wilson back on track.
But for former longtime NFL wide receiver turned Denver-area sports talk radio host Brandon Stokley, the Broncos could have trouble attracting a top-flight candidate such as former Saints head coach Sean Payton.
"I mean, Sean Payton's not coming to this mess," Stokley told CBS Sports Radio host Zach Gelb on Monday. "He's a smart guy. Why would he come to Denver and inherit a quarterback that's on the downside of his career and might actually be done?
"And then, what do you do from there? So, Sean Payton will have his pick of jobs, and Denver's just not one of the top jobs right now."
Stokley -- a two-time Super Bowl winner who played with several notable quarterbacks including Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, and Joe Flacco -- then went on to suggest he's not especially confident Wilson can rebound, and called the trade that brought Wilson to Denver an historic blunder.
"We'll see how it plays out, but you might have just made one of the worst trades in NFL history and then signed him to a big contract, so you're stuck with all of this for a while. And when you make those type of massive mistakes, usually there's consequences down the line when it comes to the salary cap and the loss of draft pick that the Broncos have given up for Russell Wilson."
The only hope Stokley sees for the Broncos reeling in a coach of Payton's caliber is if they "open up the check book."
"Why would Sean Payton want to come here? The only reason that I could think of is if you open up the check book, and give him all the power he wants, and you write him a huge, huge check -- which obviously this ownership group can do."
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram