Bo Nix Follows John Elway’s Footsteps

The Denver Broncos enter year two under head coach Sean Payton. After the experiment with Russell Wilson had dramatically imploded, the offensive mastermind needed a new passer. Jarrett Stidham was already in the building. He replaced Wilson in the final two games of the 2023 campaign. In addition to that, general manager George Paton traded for former second-overall pick Zach Wilson and selected Oregon’s Bo Nix in the draft.

Bo Nix Takes Flight

Stidham began training camp as the team’s starter, although the team rotated him with both Wilson and Nix. Wilson got eliminated from the mix rather quickly. The two-man race between the 2019 fourth-rounder and the 12th overall selection of this year’s class continued their battle.

After two strong performances in the preseason and equally promising practice sessions, the Broncos have now put an end to any speculation, announcing that Nix would join first-overall pick Caleb Williams and second-overall pick Jayden Daniels as Week 1 starters. J.J. McCarthy is out with a knee injury. Drake Maye will likely sit behind Jacoby Brissett, while Michael Penix will only get the nod over Kirk Cousins if the veteran can’t go after his Achilles injury.

Payton said after Wednesday’s practice: “Bo Nix is going to be our starting quarterback,” Payton said. “I felt like — and I said this to [the media] two weeks ago — that room has been outstanding. [Jarrett] Stidham, certainly, with his experience and then being able to work with Zach Wilson. All three of those guys. We’ve got some decisions as we get into the roster. I don’t want to get into all the other roster battles. That’s not for today. But Bo will start.”

The longtime Saints coach added: “He’s been outstanding. Obviously, there’s a ton of room for growth. There’s a lot of things that he needs to work on.”

12th overall pick Nix was a controversial figure leading up to the draft. Some thought he shouldn’t be a first-rounder at all; others stressed that he would be the real deal after a strong finish to his long college career last season.

After three seasons at Auburn, Nix transferred to Oregon, joining Dan Lanning’s Ducks. In 27 games in the Pac-12, Nix produced impressive numbers: 8,101 passing yards, 74 passing touchdowns, and only ten interceptions, adding 744 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground.

The passer will join Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion John Elway as the only Broncos signal-caller to start in Week 1 in their rookie years.

Nix said after practice: “It will be a special moment. Obviously, that’s great to share with such a great player like John Elway, but [I] definitely want to [go] out there and [do] whatever I can do ultimately for the team. It doesn’t matter when your first start is. It doesn’t matter if you have to wait or you go right now. You just want to go out there and get the first win and ultimately compete at a high level and give your team the best chance possible. That’s what my goal is at the beginning, just to give our team the best chance to go out there and win games every week.”

He gave his team an excellent chance to win in both of his preseason showings. Nix completed 24 of 30 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks with 29 rushing yards.

The 24-year-old is a fast processor, and his quick passing game is built for Payton’s system. With a high-caliber coach in his corner, Nix has the potential to silence his doubters early in his career. His first regular season exposure will come on the road, in a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch against the Seattle Seahawks.

Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.

---

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who was drawn to the sport by Adrian Peterson’s excellence. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and has an affinity for Classic rock. His active Twitter page can be found here. His work can be found on PurplePTSD, VikingsTerritory, and DraftHuddle.