Broncos QB Bo Nix on Facing Aaron Rodgers: 'It's Crazy'

Bo Nix is facing the first iconic quarterback of his career in Aaron Rodgers.

Sep 19, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos notched their first win last week, moving to 1-2 on the season. Next up is another road tilt on the East Coast vs. the New York Jets.

This game is replete with revenge and retribution storylines, not only because former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett is still the Jets' offensive coordinator, but also because of the hornet's nest Sean Payton kicked in the summer of 2023 when he criticized his predecessor, with prejudice. Payton had a chance to back up his talk, but Hackett's Jets rolled into Mile High in Week 5 and a Zach Wilson-led squad laid a slobber-knocker on the Broncos to the tune of a 31-21 loss.

The final score in that game made it look much closer than it actually was. The Jets dominated a Broncos squad that couldn't get out of its own way, suffering from one self-inflicted wound after another. And that was without Aaron Rodgers under center.

Rodgers is healthy and will start vs. the Broncos on Sunday. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix will be facing the first icon quarterback of his NFL career.

“It’s pretty surreal. I grew up watching him do all his cool plays for so long," Nix said of Rodgers. "It’s crazy that I get to go out there and play against him. [I’m] really looking forward to meeting him for the first time. It’s hard to put into words that on Sunday, you get to play a great like that.”

Muddying the water is the sense of unfinished business for Payton and the Broncos. Payton had so much egg in his face from Week 5 last year that, at the right angle at the podium, you can still pick out a crusted-over streak in the crags of his visage.

Rodgers surely wants to get in on the retribution. He talked some smack last year himself in the wake of Payton's criticism of Hackett, telling the new Broncos head coach to "keep my coach's name out of your mouth."

On Wednesday, Payton played down the notion that any bad blood between the two teams might remain, and he tipped his cap to Rodgers, who's led the Jets to a 2-1 start with 624 passing yards and five touchdowns. The four-time NFL MVP has only been picked off once thus far.

“You feel like you're seeing the quarterback we all remember," Payton said of Rodgers. "He's quick, the ball is out, he's got great command of what they do—180 penalties drawn with his hard count. Historically speaking, he's one of the top quarterbacks we've ever seen, certainly in that area. He does a great job getting the plays they want to get to. You see the skill set that we all saw prior to the injury.”

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Payton is referencing Rodgers' Achilles tear suffered in the Jets' 2023 season-opener. As one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history, Rodgers will one day be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Along with his MVP accolades, he's a four-time first-team All-Pro, and a 10-time Pro Bowler, as well as a former Super Bowl champion.

The Broncos will have their hands full trying to defend Rodgers, especially with starting inside linebacker Alex Singleton's season-ending ACL tear. In a media appearance earlier this week, Rodgers talked about the Broncos' defense after its commanding win in Tampa.

"We've got Denver who's coming off a nice win against the undefeated Buccaneers," Rodgers said. "Defensively, they throw a lot of different things at you and they've played really well. ... They're gonna be riding high."

It'll be a very difficult opponent for the Broncos to crack. With how well Rodgers is playing at age 40, the Broncos will need rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the offense to continue to show that something has clicked because holding the Jets to 13 points or less will be nearly impossible.

The Broncos will have to score some points this week. Thus far, Payton is winless in any game that had an accompanying theme of revenge, including Week 2's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which saw Russell Wilson holding a clipboard on the sideline.

The Broncos will also face the New Orleans Saints later this season — Payton's former team. So here's to hoping that Payton has the Broncos more prepared to manage the emotional electricity of games like the one coming on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

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