All who live in the country of Broncos have been taken for a ride.

Goodbye, Russ. Good luck. Good riddance.

George Paton still is here, but not Justin Simmons.

On March 6, 2022, the Broncos announced that Russell Wilson would be acquired in a trade of gargantuan magnitude. On March 4, 2024, the Broncos announced that the quarterback would be dumped in a decision of Brobdingnagian significance.

Wilson is gone, but the residue of a guaranteed $39 million contract in 2024, an $85 million salary-cap hit over two seasons and the $124 million the Broncos already paid the face of the franchise will remain as a permanent reminder of the worst football and financial fiasco, farce and failure in NFL history — The Devastating Debacle In Denver.

Russell won 11 of his 30 starts with the Broncos. George has lost 31 of 51 games as GM.

What now for Wilson, for Paton, Payton & Penner and for the Broncos?

The QB will become an unrestricted free agent next week while the Broncos’ 3P consider signing an unrestricted free agent QB.

“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,” Sir Walton Scott wrote.

Russell could sign with the Steelers, the Falcons, the Vikings or, most likely, the Dreaded Raiders.

The Broncos could sign Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston or, most likely, Sam Darnold.

Oh, yes. Oh, no.

Consider this:

After John Elway retired as the Broncos’ quarterback following 16 seasons and finishing with back-to-back Super Bowl championships, the Broncos started 11 starting quarterbacks until Peyton Manning joined the franchise in 2012. After Peyton retired following four seasons and finishing with the Super Bowl 50 title, the Broncos have started 13 quarterbacks.

Alas, 24 seasons without Elway or Manning and with 24 peculiar quarterbacks.

Reminiscent of the 1966-68 Broncos with eight chalk-and-cheese starting quarterbacks.

The quirky quarterback quagmire continues.

Does Jacoby, Jameis Jarrett (Stidham) or Sam “I am” return anybody’s blood to orange? Will Sean Payton be able to be the “Quarterback Miracle Worker’’ with one of these guys? With free agency beginning Monday, the Broncos’ brass is contemplating the options of bringing a retread or a flopped former first-rounder to Denver or sticking with Stidham, who was completely average in his two starts.

The Triumvirate in control must make the monumental move — draft a quarterback.

In the franchise’s entire 64-year AFL-NFL history only one quarterback the team picked in the draft started and won a playoff game.

Tim Tebow experienced a brief, bright Camelot season and was banished.

However, Tebow and his mania were more successful with the Broncos than those other 23, including Wilson. The Broncos did draft quarterbacks who won championships in other leagues — Tommy Maddox in the XFL and Chad Kelly in the CFL. Gary Kubiak, Brock Osweiler, Brian Griese, Jeff Lewis and Trevor Siemian — who also were quarterbacks drafted by the Broncos — won championship rings here as backup or inactive players.

Are any of the eight quarterbacks the Broncos interviewed at the NFL combine another Elway or Manning (neither of whom was drafted by the Broncos) or a Patrick Mahomes (who the Chiefs traded up to select in the first round) or even a Brock Purdy (chosen as the last player in the draft by the 49ers)?

At the 12th spot in the first round the Broncos won’t get Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, but they may have a chance at J.J. McCarthy, Michael Pennix or Bo Nix. Spencer Rattler will be available in the second round (but the Broncos don’t possess a No. 2), and Michael Pratt will still be on the board in the third.

If the Broncos can trade up this is the time. If not they can trade down to later in the round. Or they can stay silent. For the first time ever quarterbacks could go 1-2-3 to the Bears, the Commanders and 11-12-13 to the Vikings, the Broncos and the Raiders.

Whatever happens, the Broncos can’t be wrong again. They’ve suffered in Never-Never Land for eight straight seasons with bad quarterbacks, bad head coaches, bad generals.

The Broncos cannot be wrong again.

Broncos Country, let’s ride with a quarterback in the draft.

Pick Nix.