3 Players Broncos Must Consider Benching amid 3-5 Start

Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, the Denver Broncos will always have Week 8. The Broncos 24-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs was easily the best moment of the season.

They beat the Chiefs for the first time since 2015.

For a moment, it made up for what has been a disastrous start to the season. The Broncos are 3-5 in Sean Payton's first year as head coach. While the win could be the launching point for a recovered season, there's also a chance that it winds up being a positive blip in an otherwise bad year.

If the Broncos are going to make the most of the landmark victory, they need to continue to evaluate the roster and adjust roles accordingly. While they've already made some changes to their lineup, these three players should be on notice that they could be losing their starting spot soon.

TE Adam Trautman

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 12: Adam Trautman #82 of the Denver Broncos stiff arms Justin Reid #20 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Sean Payton's best offenses have always had a tight end that could threaten opposing defenses as a receiver. Whether it was Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook or Jeremy Shockey, Payton has utilized his tight ends to be red-zone threats and consistent options in the passing game.

Greg Dulcich appeared ready to take on that mantel, but injuries have led to a frustrating campaign. He's on injured reserve for the second time this season. He was brought back from the list in Week 6 but only caught one pass before aggravating a hamstring injury.

That has forced the Broncos to go to Adam Trautman as the starting tight end. While the former Saint has familiarity with Sean Payton and his offense it has not led to much receiving production.

Trautman has just 11 receptions for 69 yards and we are nearly halfway through the season.

He is a non-factor as a receiver and he is one of the lowest-graded tight ends in the league by PFF's metrics.

Whether it's poaching a tight end from a practice squad or simply turning the job over to Chris Manhertz and Nate Adkins, it's time to cut back on Trautman's role.

LB Alex Singleton

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Alex Singleton

So "benched" might be a strong word here. The argument isn't that Alex Singleton should be completely shelved, but it would make sense for the Broncos to cut back on the 29-year-old's snaps to clear the way for rookie Drew Sanders.

Singleton is playing well enough. He's leading the team in total tackles (73) and has played 100 percent of the snaps in five straight weeks.

But it's fair to wonder if that's a good thing.

Singleton does not make a lot of high-impact plays. He has just three tackles for loss and two pass deflections on the season. Opposing quarterbacks have a 111.0 passer rating when throwing at the linebacker and he has just one pressure as a pass-rusher all season.

Drew Sanders has been limited to just eight defensive snaps over the last two weeks. For a team that is just 3-5 that's a disappointing progression for a rookie who could be called upon to start next season.

The 22-year old is raw, but he has intriguing athletic tools. At Arkansas he was utilized on the edge as well as off-ball linebacker and his potential to as a splash play defender would give the Broncos a play-making element at linebacker that they don't have right now.

QB Russell Wilson

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Sean Payton and Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson has staved this conversation off for now. After a 1-5 start to the season Wilson has played well enough to remain the starter for now, but if we are talking about players the Broncos need to consider benching then Wilson isn't out of the woods yet.

Wilson can hardly be credited for the 24-9 win over the Chiefs. It wasn't like we saw the vintage version of the former Seahawk or they let Russ cook. Their advanced passing metrics were still toward the bottom half of the league:

The Broncos' latest win could be attributed to a defense that played really well against an explosive Chiefs offense and a run game that was good enough to sustain the effort.

Denver doesn't have an inspiring backup. Jarrett Stidham showed he has a limited upside with the Raiders last season and calling up Ben DiNucci from the practice squad isn't enticing either. However, it would be worth getting a look at both of them if the Broncos don't maintain this momentum.

If they are looking to secure a top draft pick and potentially move on from Wilson via the draft, it would be wise to throw Stidham into the lineup late in the season.