Broncos QB Bo Nix Set to Share Franchise History With John Elway

Bo Nix has some serious legacy to live up to.

Aug 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) waves to fans after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos announced Bo Nix as the team's starting quarterback. Broncos head coach Sean Payton broke the news from the podium at Broncos Park.

"He's been outstanding," Payton said of Nix.

Payton needed to see Nix earn it, and that's exactly what the former Oregon star did. Nix vanquished veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, emerging as the clear-cut, no-brainer option for Denver at quarterback.

Payton's decision to name Nix the starter also comes with some historical gravity. Nix will become the first rookie quarterback to start the regular-season opener for the Broncos since Hall-of-Famer John Elway back in 1983.

Now that Denver has named Bo Nix as its starter, he will become the first Broncos rookie quarterback to start Week 1 since John Elway. pic.twitter.com/IIUHOQ4WNY

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 21, 2024

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The Broncos travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, and it's been a while since they've returned home to Denver victorious from a trip to the Pacific Northwest. The historical precedent being set with Nix speaks to the Broncos' struggles over the years to draft and develop a quarterback.

On one hand, it hasn't been for a lack of trying. On the other, Nix became just the fifth first-round quarterback the Broncos have drafted ever. Elway doesn't count, because he was a Colts draft pick traded to Denver on the same day.

Nix joins Tommy Maddox (1992), Jay Cutler (2006), Tim Tebow (2010), and Paxton Lynch (2016) as the only quarterbacks to hear the Broncos call their name in the first round all-time. Now, there have been other significant quarterbacks drafted by the Broncos over the years, but not in Round 1, like Brian Griese, Brock Osweiler, and Drew Lock, to name a few.

Maddox was a mystifying selection at the time, while Cutler went on to earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2008 under Mike Shanahan. Tebow never blossomed into a franchise quarterback, but he did win an AFC West crown in 2011 and a playoff game. Lynch was an utter bust, washing out before he could even start his third NFL season.

Griese was originally tapped as Elway's successor, but despite a couple of promising seasons early on, injuries ultimately derailed his trajectory in the Mile High City. Osweiler was drafted on the heels of the Broncos landing the biggest fish in NFL free-agent history — Peyton Manning — and he sat for three-and-a-half years before seeing significant playing time.

However, when Manning suffered a foot injury in 2015, Osweiler stepped in to start seven games (5-2), and keeping the Broncos in position to win the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed. Without Osweiler's steady hand, there's a good chance the Broncos don't go on to win Super Bowl 50.

Lock was 2019 second-round pick whom the Broncos viewed as their future franchise quarterback. But despite a promising rookie showing where he went 4-1 as a starter, a shoulder injury early the next season arrested his momentum. Then-head coach Vic Fangio soon ran out of patience, bringing in Teddy Bridgewater to supplant Lock.

The Broncos have had some high-profile rookie quarterbacks over the years, but none since Elway was trusted enough so early to lead the team as the starter. Credit the 24-year-old Nix's NCAA-record 61 college starts and his relative maturity, perhaps, but the symbolism of this historical distinction he'll go on to share with Elway is striking.

Here's to hoping that it's a harbinger of what the future holds for Nix, whom the Broncos drafted with the No. 12 overall pick back in April. Elway was fortunate enough to have Shanahan relatively early in his career as offensive coordinator, then later as his head coach.

Nix gets Payton. Another commonality.

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