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As more time goes by, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix seems to gain more fans.
In this case, one of those fans is a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and one of the NFL’s most trusted backups over the last decade.
The Athletic’s Chris Branch recently asked longtime former NFL backup quarterback Chase Daniel who he thought the most impressive rookie quarterback would be in 2024 outside of Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.
“Bo Nix!” Daniel told Branch. “I think he’s gonna shine in the Sean Payton offense. Vegas only has them at 5 1/2 wins, and I think it’s gonna be more than that.”
Nix was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of Oregon and won the starting job after a three-way battle with veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson during training camp.
Going From Undrafted to Making Millions in NFL
Daniel went undrafted in 2009 despite passing for over 12,000 yards and 101 touchdowns during an All-American career at Missouri, including coming within one game of a BCS Championship Game beth in 2007.
He made the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2009 and won a Super Bowl as the backup to Drew Brees in his first season. Daniel would go on to play 14 seasons in the NFL for 7 different teams, including stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers.
For his career, Daniel started 5 games and went 2-3 and made an estimated $41.8 million in career earnings. After 2 seasons as the backup to Justin Herbert on the Chargers, Daniel retired before the 2023 season.
Nix Centerpiece for Broncos Rebuilding Efforts
Nix finds himself as the centerpiece of the Broncos’ rebuilding efforts as the team tries to end a playoff drought stretching back to when they won Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.
At 8 seasons headed into 2024, it’s the longest playoff drought for any NFL franchise following a Super Bowl win. Since Peyton Manning retired following that Super Bowl-winning season, the Broncos have started 13 quarterbacks in the last 8 seasons.
Now, Nix will be the first rookie starting quarterback for the Broncos since Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983. He will also be the first rookie quarterback to start for head coach Sean Payton, who is in his 18th NFL season. Payton’s coaching career to this point has been defined by consistency at the quarterback position — Brees was the starter for 16 of the 17 seasons he was the head coach of the Saints.
Nix already has experience on his side after he set the NCAA record with 61 career starts from 2019 to 2023 at Auburn and Oregon, going 43-18 as a starter.
In 2023, he was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist and set the NCAA single-season record for completion percentage (77.4 percent) and led the FBS with 45 passing touchdowns. He also set a single-season school record with 4,508 passing yards.
Of the 6 quarterbacks picked in the first round in 2024, 3 of them were named starters before the 2024 season — No. 1 overall pick Williams for the Chicago Bears, No. 2 pick Daniels for the Washington Commanders and Nix.
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