Bo Nix has given the Broncos plenty of reason to feel good about their 2024 draft decision, and Tuesday’s quarterback news around J.J. McCarthy only sharpens that picture.
Denver was the final team in Round 1 to take a quarterback that year, and Nix drew plenty of heat the moment the pick came in. The criticism was familiar: he was viewed by many as a player who didn’t belong in the first round, a quarterback with a limited ceiling who would reach his peak quickly in the NFL.
The first two regular season games of his career seemed to feed that skepticism. But that tiny sample never told the full story. Since then, Nix has gone 24-8 as a starter and helped push his team within a game of the Super Bowl in 2025.
Among the quarterbacks taken in Round 1, there’s a strong case that Nix has had the best career to this point. And the latest development with McCarthy makes the Broncos’ choice look even better.
The Minnesota Vikings officially named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback for the 2026 season, which leaves McCarthy in a backup role. Minnesota had traded up in the draft to make sure it could land him, but that move also let Nix slide to Denver at No.
- McCarthy went 10th overall and has thrown just 11 touchdown passes.
At this stage, McCarthy’s path with the Vikings looks murky. In his third year, he still hasn’t won the starting job, and a change of scenery may soon make sense for both sides. It would be an awkward split and a disappointing outcome overall, but that’s part of the league.
For the Broncos, though, the contrast is hard to ignore. Denver appears to have made the better call, and with the team in position to legitimately win it all this year, Nix looks like the right fit at the right time.
The bigger lesson from the 2024 quarterback class is how difficult it is to identify and develop a franchise passer. Even Drake Maye and Caleb Williams, the two widely viewed as the top quarterbacks in that group, still have red flags that haven’t been cleaned up.
Nix may not have the loudest raw talent in the class, but he fits Denver beautifully. If he puts together another strong year in 2026, a long-term deal would likely follow. McCarthy, meanwhile, has a far shakier outlook, and it’s hard to see him still being with the Vikings beyond 2026.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Has A Clear Preference For Denvers New Offensive Setup
As the Broncos work through the early details of Davis Webbs first season as offensive coordinator, one of the quieter choices is already carrying some weight: where hell actually call plays from. Webb, a former NFL quarterback, is weighing the sideline against the booth, and while he has not locked in a final decision, the lean appears to be toward staying down on the field. It is a small operational call, but one that can shape communication, pace and the feel of Denvers offense on game day.
Sean Payton has backed the sideline setup, and Bo Nix has made clear he prefers it too, which gives that option plenty of internal support as the Broncos settle into a new offensive structure. The discussion fits a familiar Broncos thread, since past coaches have also favored different spots based on how they wanted to manage the game. For now, the question is less about philosophy than finality, and Webbs choice will be one of the first real tells of how this offense wants to function when the games start mattering. [Read more 🡒]
Colin Cowherd Sees A Troubling Sign In The Broncos Outlook
Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd is looking at the Broncos future with a wary eye, and his concern starts with how they won last season. Denver was constantly living on the edge, trailing in a bunch of games before finding ways to come out on top, a formula that can look sturdy in the moment and fragile when the wins stop breaking the right way. Cowherd tied that kind of success to the idea that it can be hard to repeat, especially for a team that has spent a lot of time winning tight ones.
The comparison he reached for was the Chiefs, whose own recent slide serves as a warning sign for any contender trying to stay ahead of the curve. From Denvers perspective, the pressure only gets louder because the opening stretch of the schedule leaves little room to ease in, with a run of opponents that could quickly test whether last seasons resilience was a real step forward or just a hard-to-replicate run of good fortune. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Suddenly Has A Broncos Camp Problem Fans Feared
Training camp is only a few days old, but the Broncos are already dealing with the kind of soft-tissue injuries that can make August feel longer than it should. Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims Jr. have both been affected, and the wave of issues has forced Denver to manage practices more carefully as Sean Payton tries to keep the roster moving toward the season without losing momentum.
Payton said the early camp grind brings its own challenges, and he has already pointed to the work that happens before players ever step on the field as part of avoiding those strains and groin or hamstring problems. The concern now is how quickly the Broncos can stabilize things, especially with the position groups they are trying to evaluate and the health questions that keep surfacing while camp is still in its early stages. [Read more 🡒]