Broncos Blasted by National Media on Doorstep of Training Camp

You have to wonder how Sean Payton feels about hot takes such as these.

Dec 16, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks at the scoreboard in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos pulled the trigger on a rebuild this past offseason, releasing Russell Wilson, and shedding as much salary cap as was possible to offset the veteran quarterback's punitive contract. That meant Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons had to go, as well as former first-round wideout Jerry Jeudy (via trade).

It also meant that the Broncos couldn't compete to re-sign a few key veterans in free agency, saying goodbye to linebacker Josey Jewell and center Lloyd Cushenberry III. The Broncos did what all rebuilding teams do, and leaned into a youth movement, drafting Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the No. 12 overall pick.

Suffice it to say, the national media has been highly critical of Denver's offseason decisions, and outlets like USA TODAY and Bleacher Report remain largely skeptical, and downright dismissive, of Sean Payton's 2024 squad.

USA TODAY's Jarrett Bailey included the Broncos among a bottom-feeding tier of teams he dubbed 'Good Luck in 2025' clubs.

"Speaking of directionless franchises, hello Denver. Drafting Bo Nix in the first round was certainly a choice. The Broncos lack star power and they have a head coach who’s lure is overstated," Bailey wrote.

B/R's Maurice Moton predicted the Broncos to finish last in the AFC West, even worse than the Las Vegas Raiders.

"In head coach Sean Payton's second term with the Broncos, the club seems to be in rebuild mode, while the Los Angeles Chargers—who finished fourth in the AFC West last year—upgraded over former head coach Brandon Staley, hiring Jim Harbaugh.

"The Broncos haven't beaten the Raiders since 2019. If that streak continues into 2024, it could be the deciding factor in which team finishes last in the division," Moton wrote.

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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and rookie quarterback Bo Nix. / Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

Payton does read his team's press clippings. He stays up to date on Twitter, as evidenced by several of his offseason comments this year. If/when these two articles cross his radar, his response will likely include a wry smile of satisfaction.

Let 'em hate, I might say. Payton might say, "Let 'em sleep." And that's exactly the effect the national perspective's incessant offseason articles and lists have done — lull the NFL to sleep on the Broncos.

That's exactly where Payton wants his opponents. Of course, very few wise and educated football analysts, including former players, expect the Broncos to be playoff contenders this year in the wake of so much upheaval. It's called a rebuild for a reason.

Starting a rookie quarterback, as the Broncos are expected to do at some point this season with Nix, rarely pans out in the form of immediate results in the standings. However, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans proved last year that if a team gets its quarterback selection right, and the head-coaching regime has some sand, it can hit the ground running with a rookie under center.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, expected the Texans to be a playoff team last year. A rookie head coach and quarterback? But DeMeco Ryans and Stroud defied those expectations with unabashed glee.

That doesn't mean that Payton and Nix are promised the same early returns. Broncos fans should be prepared for the traditional one-step-forward, two-steps-back season that a rookie-quarterbacked team commonly produces.

But when it comes to hope, we have to examine the situation to determine whether there are any outlying factors that could see the Broncos defy traditional expectations. Payton's resume as a Super Bowl-winning head coach and quarterback developer must factor into that equation and should qualify as a booster. Despite how things ended with Wilson, Payton did improve on the Broncos' previous record by three wins in Year 1 (8-9).

The Broncos roster itself, which has been panned by the media, also offers some glimmers above and beyond the doldrum rankings it's received this offseason. The running back stable, receiving corps, and offensive line each has question marks, but these groups are also teeming with the type of potential that only needs the right quarterback to unlock and maximize it.

Is Nix such a quarterback? Payton believes he is. But nature has to take its course before we'll know for sure, and Nix has to go earn the starting job. The sooner that happens, the sooner the Broncos will begin to answer some of these questions.

The encouraging thing is that Nix is a 24-year-old rookie and happens to be the most experienced quarterback to ever enter the league through the NFL draft. Considering Nix's unique skill set, football IQ, and intangible traits, Payton tends to make a lot of hay with quarterbacks of that ilk.

The Drew Brees comparisons were made for a reason. And what Payton needs most isn't a quarterback who makes jaw-dropping throws off-schedule and off-platform, a la Patrick Mahomes; he needs a signal-caller who can be a true extension of the head coach and play-caller on the field.

That is why I'm so bullish on Nix as Denver's future franchise quarterback. The future is now.

And by the time the 2024 season is in the books, it would be unsurprising to see all the Motons and Baileys on the NFL media landscape eating crow and taking to their respective publications with write-ups that completely gloss over their initial dismissive and critical opinions of Payton, Nix, and the Broncos.

Such NFL writers have a penchant for becoming the best sweepers in the business — bonafide experts at brushing freezing-cold takes under the carpet.

Broncos training camp kicks off in earnest on Jlu 26.

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