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Everyone needs a boss to believe in them and Bo Nix certainly does.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton has trust in his young quarterback — a lot of it.
“He’s set to become one of the top four or five quarterbacks in the league over the next couple of years,” Payton mentioned in a chat with Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. “That’s evident from what we’re witnessing now. He avoids taking sacks and has outstanding arm strength. During the game against Cincinnati, he threw the furthest pass—covering 67 air yards. He has the ability to run and make throws from unconventional body positions.”
Nix demonstrated remarkable potential during his rookie season, completing 17 games with 3,775 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Additionally, he contributed 430 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
In college, Nix spent three seasons at Auburn and two with Oregon.
It was in his final season with the Ducks that he truly soared into prominence, throwing for 45 touchdowns with only three interceptions, securing a third-place finish in the Heisman Trophy race. Nix topped the national charts in completions and completion percentage, achieving 364 completions and a 77.4% rate.
While he was the 12th pick in the 2024 draft, there were still five other quarterbacks taken ahead of him — Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix and JJ McCarthy.
Payton seems to believe he’ll be the best of all of them.
Nix was the second-most successful rookie of the bunch last season, leading the Broncos to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth, a better outcome than any rookie quarterback and their team aside from Daniels and the Commanders.
Led by the 25-year-old quarterback, Payton has high hopes for the entire team, not just Nix.
“The short-term goal is winning the division,” he said. “But this is a team capable of winning the Super Bowl. I’ve coached six teams that I thought could win the Super Bowl. Some went to championship games, some to the playoffs … This is my seventh team that I think has that.”
Payton coached the Saints for 15 years and won one Super Bowl. He was the offensive mastermind who helped Drew Brees thrive as an all-time great quarterback.