Seemingly everyone wanted to come to Denver to be a Bronco and play with Manning.
Guys took hometown discounts to stay in Denver to help the team build something special. There is even a hilarious story of how Emmanuel Sanders literally left an in-person visit with the Kansas City Chiefs knowing he was going to sign with the Denver Broncos in what he called "wide receiver heaven".
It's unfair in many respects to compare current Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix to Peyton Manning, but even legendary former Broncos players are noticing that Nix has the same gravitas.
Or for the Gen-Z readers: Bo Nix has serious aura.
Bo Nix has already been a huge recruiting draw for Broncos
"He's a guy that, you know, players want to be around. And we haven't had a guy that was a big recruiter since Peyton Manning. Everybody wanted to come to Denver when we had Peyton. So now, to be able to have a guy like Bo, who's a cornerstone guy for us -- we believe in him, the players believe in him, everybody in the building believes in him -- so now, everybody outside sees that, they feel that energy. Now they want to be a part of it."
- Former Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr
More than anything, Nix gives the Denver Broncos a clear vision moving forward. Without a quarterback in place, it's difficult to see even a short-term vision. You've got to convince guys that you can accomplish the ultimate goal in a way that pretty much no team has ever done in league history.
That's a tough sell.
The Broncos have gone a decade without a true franchise quarterback, and there's more to the idea of being a franchise quarterback than simply statistical production on a field. Being a franchise quarterback means you are the face of the franchise. Nix has certainly done well for himself in that regard, proving that the stage and spotlight are not too much for him to handle.
As he told the Raiders defensive player last year, "I don't fear nothin'."
The Broncos have a true leader at the quarterback in every sense. Nix cares about his teammates, he cares about his craft, and he cares about being the best. It won't be shocking if more and more guys start flocking to Denver in the near future similar to the way we see with a lot of other teams around the league who
