Asking NFL fans older than 40 years old what comes to mind when they hear the term “triplets” will usually get just one answer — the legendary Dallas Cowboys trio of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin.
Those three Hall of Famers led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s and put us on notice for those types of trios ever since, with CBS Sports ranking the best “triplet” combinations in the NFL headed into 2024.
As was probably expected, the Denver Broncos didn’t fare well, coming in dead last at No. 32, with quarterback Bo Nix, running back Javonte Williams and wide receiver Courtland Sutton selected as their trio. The NFL “triplets” for the list were all made up of one quarterback, one running back and wide receiver or tight end.
The Broncos dropped 12 spots from No. 21 in the 2023 triplet rankings.
From CBS Sports: “Nix was the last of the first-round quarterbacks selected in this year’s draft, and it would appear that there’s not quite as much confidence in him as the first few guys that came off the board. Williams is coming off a season where he looked slow and un-explosive in the wake of his ACL tear. Sutton put together a 10-touchdown campaign, but he also only caught 59 passes for 772 yards. It’s not that surprising to see this trio check in last.”
Are the Broncos Really That Bad?
CBS Sports took a pretty comprehensive approach to the triplet rankings — rankings were selected by the average of 12 voters. Of those 12 voters, the highest anyone had the Broncos ranked was No. 30 and their average ranking was 31.2.
That kind of falls in line with what oddsmakers are anticipating for the Broncos in 2024. Vegas Insider has the Broncos’ over/under win total for 2024 at 5.5 wins from all of the major betting services except for DraftKings, which has them at 6.5 wins.
The Broncos haven’t made the postseason since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season and haven’t had a winning season since 2016. Denver went 8-9 and finished second in the AFC West in 2023 — their best record since 2016 — but key roster losses should impact the team in a negative way in 2024.
Last year’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, was released after the season, which resulted in an $85 million dead cap hit over 2024 and 2025. Center Lloyd Cushenberry left via free agency to the Tennessee Titans on a 5-year, $50 million contract. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Veteran safety Justin Simmons was released in a salary cap move after being selected to his third consecutive NFL All-Pro Team.
Nix Unproven Commodity of Broncos’ Trio
While Williams and Sutton are veterans who have proven to be pretty average over most of their careers, if Williams or Sutton could pass 1,000 yards rushing or receiving they would be the first Broncos to do so since 2019.
The real unknown is Nix, who the Broncos selected No. 12 overall in the 2024 NFL draft after he set the FBS record with 61 career starts across five seasons at Auburn and Oregon. Another unknown? If Nix will actually be the starter — he hasn’t officially been declared QB1 and is still in a battle for the top spot with veterans Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham.
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