Don’t make your mind up on new Broncos QB Bo Nix just yet

Come on, give new Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix some time.

At least a season.

When head coach Sean Payton picked Nix at No. 12 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft last week, the takes were spicy. Some fans will thrilled, others not so much.

Everyone seemingly had a strong opinion on taking the sixth quarterback of the draft just 12 picks in.

The reality is the Broncos are playing the lottery, just like every other team. Nix could be great, he could be a bust. The same can be said for Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy. Those were the five QBs taken ahead of Nix before Roger Goodell called his name.

And yes, I was one of those opinions.

I pointed out on draft night that when McCarthy was falling down the board, Payton should go get him. No dice, as the Vikings traded with the Jets to get to No. 10 and take the national championship winner.

After that, tight end Brock Bowers out of Georgia was on the board at No. 12. Tight end has become a premium position in the NFL, with arguably the best four in the league playing in the conference championships last season. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Sam LaPorta and George Kittle all made the final four.

Yet, Nix was Payton’s guy all along. He admitted as much after the draft, falling in love with Nix after a private workout in Oregon.

That’s Payton’s right, as he’s clearly making the big decisions down at Dove Valley right now. It’s his show and his legacy will no doubt be tied to Nix in Denver.

So before he’s ever played a snap in orange and blue, the plea is pretty simple: don’t make up your mind on Nix until we’ve seen a legitimate sample size at the professional level.

The Broncos would be foolish not to start Nix in Week 1 and all next season. They’re not winning the Super Bowl in 2024, so let’s see what the young man can do.

We saw Jarrett Stidham twice at the end of last year after Russell Wilson was benched, and it wasn’t impressive. Zach Wilson is a former No. 2 overall pick, but he put enough on film in New York to show he’s a career backup, at best, in this league.

Nix is the unknown and that’s why all Broncos fans should get behind him. Even if your favorite QB going into the draft went to a different team, oh well. Nix is the guy who plays here, and he’s the guy fans should embrace.

After all, we’ve been looking for a QB to take us back to the playoffs ever since Peyton Manning retired.

Paxton Lynch didn’t work out, the last first-round quarterback Denver took, and there’s a long list of journeymen as well who failed here in Denver. Russell Wilson wasn’t that, but his career appears to be heading to close long before many predicted it would.

Nix is 24, and it’s well documented he played five seasons in college. The first three with Auburn and the final two with Oregon.

That just mean he has plenty of experience, and should be able to find success in the NFL relatively quickly. You’d hate to have your mind made up on Nix, then he goes out and kills it, and you look like Homer Simpson backing into the bushes.

The reason Broncos fans are generally grumpy is easy to figure out. They haven’t made the postseason in eight years and have had a losing record over each of the last seven.

So, rather than be divided over Nix, it’s easier to all root together for him.

He was super impressive in his first press conference last week, even bringing up Manning and Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. That’s a good way to get Denver to appreciate you right away.

For now, just give Nix a shot. The reality is we know nothing about how his NFL career will eventually go.