Broncos pundits rush to force Bo Nix fit amid worrisome Zach Wilson rumors

I know the pieces fit! For as much as Sean Payton may love the fact that his team reached on Bo Nix out of Oregon, the Denver Broncos have a whole other mess of issues on their hand. They have so many quarterbacks on their roster, but how sure are we that any of them are even the least bit good? While everybody wants to coronate Nix immediately, his time to shine may be coming prematurely.

In Sean Keeler's latest for the Denver Post, he spoke with Jon Cooper of Ourlads about Payton and what he plans to do at the quarterback position in Denver. Cooper and Payton go way back, back to Payton's days of playing high school football in Chicagoland. He knows that the Broncos head coach is often the smartest man in the room, but it isn't always a good thing when it comes to development.

Cooper mentioned off-hand that he does not think newcomer Zach Wilson will be the least bit good running Payton's offensive system. Because of this, it may force Nix into the starting role a bit early.

“I’m not sure Zach Wilson is going to become a better quarterback from working with Sean. And Nix is a veteran with all that college experience. (As a) guy who’s played a lot of football, there’s an advantage, to a degree."

Cooper mentions inconsistencies in Nix's game, ones that every SEC and former Pac-12 fan knows.

“There’s some inconsistency (with Nix). And I think where Sean can help is develop that consistency and develop some consistent things in his mechanics and also the mental side of playing quarterback. They’ll be coming up with a teaching plan – there’s a lot of teaching with a (rookie) QB, and Sean will be involved with some plans. But my confidence level is pretty high with him, obviously.”

While I do agree that this partnership between Payton and Nix could be promising, the rookie out of Oregon is going to be fed to the wolves having to quarterback one of the worst teams in football.

Bo Nix may be rushed into Denver Broncos starting quarterback role

Look. Nix is not really a kid anymore. He is already 24, going on 25. Nix played and started all five years of college football at two traditional powers. His first three seasons were at his father's alma mater of Auburn. After graduating early, Nix transferred to Oregon to play for Dan Lanning. His two seasons starring in the Pac-12 are why he became the No. 12 overall pick by the Broncos in 2024.

Admittedly, it is quite tricky in assessing the range in which Nix could play in a Broncos uniform. In a best-case scenario, he can be the Broncos' version of what Derek Carr was during his prime with the Las Vegas Raiders, a stabilizing presence at the quarterback position for a team that wallows in perpetual chaos. If it hits the fan, people are going to try to label him like we all have with Wilson...

What I am getting at is Nix is going to be the starter this year in Denver, probably in Week 1, if I have to be totally honest. The problem I have is he may not have the right teammates in the quarterback room to set him up for success. Payton is going to be egomaniacal in trying to win big with Nix. This feels like Jerry Glanville trying to still win with Grits Blitz, while disparaging Brett Favre on his roster.

Nix is tough and he will survive, but I am not sure he is in a favorable situation to succeed long-term.