After a season Denver Broncos fans have waited for since Peyton Manning lifted the Lombardi Trophy in 2016, the 2026 season is looking even better.
Despite an unfortunate ankle injury before the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, quarterback Bo Nix will be ready to go in Week 1. The Broncos have added a new receiving weapon in WR Jaylen Waddle to pair with their All-Pro defense.
In just two NFL seasons, Nix has made quite the name for himself after a luxurious college career at Auburn and Oregon. Now that he’s entering his third NFL season, head coach Sean Payton sees a bright future for the 26-year-old. Even drawing a comparison between him and an MVP, Hall of Fame quarterback.
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Sean Payton Compares Bo Nix’s Precision and Accuracy to HOF QB Drew Brees
Before joining the Denver Broncos organization in 2023, Sean Payton spent 15 seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Payton was the leading voice at recruiting Brees while decided between the Saints and the Miami Dolphins in 2006.
Now that Payton has found himself another franchise QB, he draws similarity between Nix and Brees.
“I think, the number-one – and they were high-volume college players,” Payton said of Nix and Brees. “[Brees] played a lot of snaps at Purdue. And I would say just, the immediate analytical, statistical number would be, the accuracy numbers.”
Brees had a standout college career in four seasons with Purdue, recording 10909 career passing yards, 81 TDs, and a completion percentage of 61.8. Whereas Nix played five total college seasons between Auburn and Oregon delivering 15351 career passing yards, 113 TDs, and completion percentage of 66.4.
“From an NFL perspective, [Brees] will go down as the most accurate passer in the history of the league,” Payton continued. “And collegiately, he was at Purdue. And I think historically speaking, Bo was the most accurate college passer, when you look at a lot of numbers. So, that would be the first – and a tough comparison for anybody in their fourth year, but that would just be the beginning. Their personalities are different, of course. But their accuracy and their positioning of the ball is certainly noticed.”
Bree sits with a 67.7% career completion percentage, while holding the top 2 spots for a single season completion percentage (74.4%, 74.3%), and the highest single-game completion percentage (96.7%).
While Nix isn’t quite at that level yet, he recorded a 66.3% his rookie year and 63.4% the following season. For Nix to be compared to the most accurate NFL quarterback of all time in only two seasons, says a lot about how much Payton ‘Bolieves’ in his QB.
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Drew Brews Asks Sean Payton to be His Presenter at HOF Induction Ceremony Next Week
Earlier this week, first ballot Hall of Fame inductee Drew Brees asked his coach of 14 seasons, Sean Payton, to be his presenter at the induction ceremony.
Brees surprised FaceTime called Payton while he was at dinner. Payton was visibly emotional at his ask, saying it “caught him off guard.”
“It caught me off guard…it was just a lot, being 15 years together…those QB/HC relationships you take for granted, but often times they don’t end the way you wanted it to end…I was proud with how it ended.”
Brees will be officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 8. Payton will have to miss a scheduled Denver Broncos practice.
DC Vance Joseph or Assistant HC/Special Teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will likely run the Broncos practice in place of Payton.
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