While on radio row for Super Bowl week in Las Vegas, Broncos head coach Sean Payton offered a bit of clarity on Denver’s quarterback situation.

Payton said in an interview with Adam Schein on Mad Dog Radio on Friday that a decision on the future of quarterback Russell Wilson will happen “sooner than later.”

“The free agency meetings are ongoing right now,” Payton said. “We look closely at where these pieces are, and here are the must needs and wants. When you ask the question about Russ, that factors in. He’ll know sooner than later.”

Wilson, who played in 15 games in 2023, was benched for the final two after Payton said he was searching for a spark on offense. After he was replaced by Jarrett Stidham, the 35-year-old Wilson told reporters that the team approached him during the Broncos’ bye week, telling him that if he didn’t alter his contract guarantee for 2025, he’d be benched for the team’s final nine games.

General manager George Paton said last month the organization approached Wilson’s agent in “good faith” to find a creative way to adjust the nine-time Pro Bowler’s contract. Paton added that the door is open for Wilson to return.

When Payton was asked if he took too much heat for how he handled the situation, he said “That’s a part of the deal.”

“We have a great relationship,” Payton said. “Every ounce of our energy at the start was ‘What are the things we think (Wilson) does best for us, offensively?’ Ultimately, we got to a stretch where we just felt like ‘Hey, we wanted to look at Stidham.’”

Payton said the team will begin preparing for the NFL Draft. The Broncos currently hold the 12th overall pick, and Payton said they haven’t decided whether they will trade up or down for a quarterback.

“I can’t tell you the jersey number of these rookie quarterbacks,” he said. “How on earth are we going up to No. 1 or going back to five or six?”

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