Ever since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015-16 NFL season, riding off into the sunset with his second Super Bowl win, the Denver Broncos have been plagued by a quarterback problem.
They’ve tried to solve it, cycling through a carousel of attempted solutions, until they selected Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. So far, it looks like they may have finally struck gold.
The post-Manning quarterback situation in Denver has been chaotic, to say the least.
Right after Manning’s retirement, John Elway and the Broncos selected Paxton Lynch in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
However, Lynch spent most of that season backing up 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian. The following year, they ran it back with that duo, then turned to veteran Case Keenum in 2018.
The next year, they rolled with Joe Flacco and 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock. Lock was given the starting job in 2020 but was benched in favor of Teddy Bridgewater in 2021.
Denver then traded Lock in a package deal for Russell Wilson in 2022, but after last season, that experiment ended too. Finally, they landed on Nix this spring.
Tired yet? I’m exhausted just writing it.
Things are finally looking up in Denver, though. The Broncos are sitting at 5-4, with Nix showing a ton of promise.
His pairing with head coach Sean Payton is proving to be a great match.
Sure, Nix still has areas to improve, but he’s already shown the ability to deliver from the pocket, extend plays, and has demonstrated flashes of clutch performances.
He’s been especially efficient on third and fourth downs in the second half of games, which is exactly what you want to see.
Nix’s athleticism has always been a strength, though it often flies under the radar.
During his time at Oregon, he was a prolific scrambler and showcased plenty of skill on designed runs.
That athletic ability has caught the attention of one of the league’s best players, who recently offered a lofty comparison for Nix’s play style.
“It’s similar to Josh Allen,” said Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones when asked about Nix’s running ability.
“I don’t think he has the big play moments of Josh Allen yet, but he’s very comparable in a lot of things he does.
The scheme they’re using with him—whether it’s getting him into the open field, keeping the ball in his hands on certain downs and distances, or letting him play with instinct—is impressive.
So for us, it’s about making sure we keep him in the pocket and then get after him.”
Jones, who knows a thing or two about Josh Allen’s game after facing him seven times, including three high-pressure playoff matchups, understands the challenge of containing a mobile quarterback.
As the Broncos continue to develop and build around Nix, they should be thrilled to hear any comparisons between their young quarterback and one of the game’s elite players.
The fact that this praise is coming from a top player on a division rival team makes it even sweeter.
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