Getty Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning coaching the AFC in the Pro Bowl.
The Denver Broncos quarterback battle will be one of several to keep an eye on and one of the biggest decisions in Head Coach Sean Payton‘s career.
Each of incumbent Jarrett Stidham, trade acquisition Zach Wilson, and rookie first-round pick Bo Nix figure to get a shot to win the job, though the latter two might be front runners given their additions this offseason.
Nix represents the future, and he has the support of one of the Broncos’ biggest past figures.
“Bo came to our camp as well when he was at Auburn, and he and I stayed in touch,” Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning told reporters on May 22. “He actually won the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award this year – which I won when I was in college – and so I was there at the banquet and got a picture with Bo.
“I remember just talking to Bo when he was thinking about transferring [from Auburn to Oregon]. And so we’ve kind of stayed in touch and I’m super happy for him to be here. I think it’s a great fit for him, and I can tell how excited Sean is to have Bo here.”
Payton was complimentary of Nix after the draft and remained so during rookie minicamp when he and the other coaches admittedly fed the newcomers more than they could handle.
“I think Sean’s system is extremely quarterback-friendly,” Manning said. “I never played in it, but played against it and watched it and know the success that Drew Brees had and Tony Romo had. So, it’s a kind of system that I’d like to play in, right? It’s very quarterback-friendly.”
Brees was outspoken in where things went awry between Payton and Russell Wilson in 2023.
The Super Bowl champion and former New Orleans Saints QB pointed out Payton’s offense required things (rhythm and timing) that were not Wilson’s strengths (improvisation).
Nix’s fit with Payton is one of the reasons for pre-draft projections linking them. This was despite the former being viewed as a step below top prospects in this class. He is coming off a historic collegiate career in which he set the NCAA record for completion percentage at 77.4%.
Peyton Manning to Broncos’ Bo Nix: ‘Experience Is Your Best Teacher’’
GettyBo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos.
Reporters asked Manning – a proud Broncos ambassador – if he had any advice for Nix, who also set the NCAA record for most starts by a quarterback. That could help with his transition.
“I think experience is still your best teacher,” Manning said. “There’s lots of philosophies and debates on whether you sit a rookie or you play them right away. Obviously, Patrick Mahomes sat for a year and then he’s been to a – I think – a AFC Championship every year since. I’m not sure that would have if he would have played as a rookie.
Manning’s comparison of Nix to the Kansas City Chiefs star and three-time champion is fitting.
Payton has cited missing out on Mahomes in the 2017 draft several times in the years since, including in explaining the Broncos’ decision to select Nix when they did.
How that impacts their plan for the 24-year-old remains unclear. Payton said there will be a competition. Nix could have a clear leg up. The Broncos made a significant investment in him. And his success could have major implications for Payton (and General Manager George Paton).
“I played as a rookie. That was – it was not a fun year. It’s well-documented how many interceptions that I threw,” Manning said. “It’s a marathon it’s not a sprint, right? I went 3-13 my rookie year and didn’t play very well. We went 13-3 the next year. There’s no way that would have happened had I not played and kind of gone through those struggles, and throwing those interceptions, and figured out, ‘Hey, okay. I can’t do that anymore. Hey, these guys are faster.’”
Manning also referred to brother Eli Manning’s experience with the New York Giants.
The younger Manning told his brother the difference in what he learned from playing versus sitting on the sidelines was “night and day.”
Sean Payton, Broncos Offers Chance at ‘Great 2nd Chapter’ for Zach Wilson
GettyZach Wilson #4 of the Denver Broncos.
Manning spoke highly of each of Nix, Stidham, and Wilson, noting that he and Stidham have golfed together before. He admitted that Wilson was the only one he didn’t know personally. He did reach out to the former New York Jet after the trade went down, though.
Manning touted the Broncos’ competition’s potential impact on Nix, Stidham and Wilson.
“Sounds like they got great competition over there. That’s always good,” Manning said. “Makes everybody better. And so I think the quarterback position is in good shape.
“It’s a great second chapter for Zach. And like I said, it’s a great system to play in. And sometimes guys just need a reboot or whatnot. So like I said, I haven’t had a chance to meet him personally. But I pull for all quarterbacks, I really do. And I think coming here to this system and having good competition with guys like Bo and Stidham can be good for everybody. So, pulling for him in this second chapter.”
Whether or not that second chapter begins with Wilson as the starter is still unclear. The Broncos will likely be Nix’s team sooner rather than later. But Wilson may be better set up to succeed than at any other point in his career with Payton calling the shots on the sidelines.