John Elway says any regret about not selecting Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL draft has quickly faded because of rookie Bo Nix’s rapid improvement, suggesting the Denver Broncos have finally found their next franchise quarterback.
Elway mentioned that Nix, the sixth quarterback taken in this year’s draft, is a great fit in Denver. With coach Sean Payton guiding his transition to the pros and Vance Joseph’s defense providing support, Nix has been able to grow.
“We’ve seen the progression of Bo in continuing to get better and better each week and Sean giving him more each week and trusting him more and more to where last week we saw his best game of the year,” Elway said, referring to Nix’s first 300-yard game and four touchdown passes in a win over Atlanta.
For that performance, Nix earned his second straight NFL Rookie of the Week award and also the AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” Elway said. “And that’s just going to continue to get better and better.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, Elway also praised former coach Mike Shanahan’s Hall of Fame credentials, spoke about the future of University of Colorado star and Heisman favorite Travis Hunter, and discussed his ongoing battle with a chronic hand condition.
Elway spent the latter half of his time as the Broncos’ general manager searching for a worthy successor to Peyton Manning. This search continued during his two-year consultant role, which ended after the 2022 season.
“You have all these young quarterbacks and you look at the ones that make it and the ones that don’t, and it’s so important to have the right system and a coach that really knows how to guide quarterbacks, and Sean’s really good at that,” Elway said.
“I think the combination of Bo’s maturity, having started 61 games in college, his athletic ability and his knowledge of the game has been such a tremendous help for him,” Elway added.
“But also, Vance Joseph’s done a great job on the defensive side to where all that pressure’s not being put on Bo and the offense to score all the time.”
Payton and his staff have slowly increased Nix’s responsibilities and used his speed in their plans. Elway praised their work, saying, “what they’re doing offensively and how they’re breaking Bo into the NFL because it’s a huge jump and I think patience is something that goes a long way in the NFL when it comes down to quarterbacks.”
Elway mentioned that he hopes to sit down with Nix when things slow down for the rookie. Nix, who already has six wins, one more than Elway had in his rookie season, said he looks forward to meeting the man who won two Super Bowls as a player and another from the front office.
“He’s a legend not only here for this organization but for the entire NFL,” Nix said. “Most guys, they would love to have a chat with John Elway, just pick his brain. It’s just awesome that I’m even in that situation.”
