This season will be critical for the Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos are looking to snap a decade-long playoff drought. Payton can prove he is more than the success he had with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
That is where rookie first-round pick Bo Nix comes in. The highest-drafted Broncos quarterback since Jay Cutler in 2006, Nix is also the highest-drafted QB under Payton.
The early signs have been encouraging, leading to a similarly positive outlook for 2024 for Nix.
“The Denver Broncos are on the verge of one of the most intriguing positional battles of any team during training camp, with three different quarterbacks set to compete for the starting gig,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote on June 19. “While the team has a pair of veterans in the mix, a highly touted rookie appears ready to take the reins.
“While [Jarrett] Stidham‘s familiarity with Payton’s scheme and [Zach] Wilson‘s experience stemming from 33 career starts may provide the veterans with a slight edge early on, it’s hard to see Nix losing to either.”
Kay’s “verdict” was to “buy” that Nix will be Denver’s starting quarterback for Week 1. They will visit the Seattle Seahawks.
“You can feel his 61 games played in college,” Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi told reporters on June 12. “With experience, a calmness comes along with it. So he certainly doesn’t feel like a rookie. He’s learning a brand new system. So whether you’re a veteran or a rookie coming in, that’s common to all these people. But he’s seen a lot and doesn’t make the same mistake twice very often. So there’s a maturity level that I think when you draft a guy that’s a little bit older, you hope comes with it. But he’s certainly shown that.”
Bo Nix on Different Path That Broncos’ Other QBs
GettyQuarterback Bo NIx #10 of the Denver Broncos.
Nix, 24, is just six months younger than Wilson, whom the Broncos acquired from the New York Jets in a late-round pick swap during the 2024 draft. The latter has a 57% completion rate with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions for this career to go with a 12-21 record as a starting QB.
The 27-year-old Stidham is the veteran in the room.
He has the most years of service and the benefit of institutional knowledge, with four years in the NFL and two starts for the Broncos at the tail end of last season.
However, Stidham owns a 1-3 career record as a starter, including going 1-1 last season in Weeks 17 and 18. He has completed 59.4% of his passes for eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Stidham vowed to put up a fight to hold onto the starting job.
But the Broncos added two quarterbacks to the roster, using draft capital to acquire both. That is an ominous sign for Stidham, who also has the lightest financial commitment of the three QBs.
Stidham is in the final year of a two-year, $10 million pact. The Broncos can cut him for the cost of $2 million in dead cap to $5 million in savings. Denver also voided Wilson’s $22 million fifth-year option.
Broncos Set to Make Big Splash in 2025 Free Agency
GettyGeneral Manager George Paton of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos have $7.6 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. They are carrying $53 million of the $85 million dead cap hit from cutting Russell Wilson this offseason in that total.
There are also dead cap charges for Randy Gregory – who is suing the Broncos – the recently released Justin Simmons and more. In total, the Broncos are paying out $67.6 million in dead cap charges in 2024. Their cap space surpasses $36 million in 2025.
Wilson’s $35 million charge is the only dead cap hit on the Broncos’ ledger for next season.
The Broncos can get above $82 million in space by cutting or trading Alex Singleton, Ben Powers, Courtland Sutton, and Zach Allen in 2025. They can reach $52 million with restructured deals.
At any rate, the Broncos are set up to be as active as they want to be next offseason. Nix and his rookie scale contract are the keys. Nix must prove his worth at this level to attract free agents for the Broncos to take advantage of the flexibility his contract gives them.
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