Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had an incredible rookie season, and is hoping to build on that by learning from some of the best to ever do it.
Head coach Sean Payton took the job with the Denver Broncos in 2023, after taking a year out from coaching. The Broncos were a five-win team when he took over, and after just two seasons, they’re now a playoff team with one of the most talented rosters in football.
Payton has now introduced Bo Nix to his former franchise quarterback, Drew Brees, and the two have been working together in the offseason.
Bo Nix has learned a lot with Drew Brees, who he said was ‘intentional’ about supporting him
Sean Payton won a lot of football games with the New Orleans Saints, because he found his franchise quarterback right away.
Brees had recently suffered a significant shoulder injury, which was enough for him to fail his medical with the Miami Dolphins. Nick Saban had wanted Brees in Miami, but after they instead opted to sign Daunte Culpepper, he took a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints.
Sean Payton had arrived that offseason. He’d worked under Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys, and Parcells suggested he get Brees if he could.
Brees had been impressed by Payton during his visit with the Saints, and the two quickly formed a connection that would span 15 seasons in New Orleans.
The two won a Super Bowl together, and Brees went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the franchise. Now, the legendary QB is helping Bo Nix develop, and putting a lot of time into supporting him.
This week, Nix told the Athletic’s ‘Scoop City’ what he learned from Brees:
“He was so intentional. Like, a guy like that, I go and hang out with him for a couple of hours or a few days. I would understand if you wanted to get through it, I get it. You got a family. But he had lists of things that like ‘hey, this is what I think you should do, let’s talk about this, and let’s go through this operation.
“It was great. Just sitting down and having a few meals with him was the best part. You go out there and throw, but we all throw. That’s not why you go and hang out with a guy like that. It’s just the mental side of the game that you can make strides in, and that’s what speeds your growth up.”
Bo Nix had a phenomenal rookie season, throwing for 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions.
He put together some outstanding games, including the road game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which the Broncos would have won had it not been for a blocked field goal in the dying moments.
He threw nine touchdown passes in the final three games of the regular season, but Denver came up short in the wildcard round of the playoffs on the road against the Buffalo Bills.
Bo Nix’s experience was already shining through, but now has Drew Brees in his corner
Bo Nix has played a lot of football. He was a four-star quarterback coming out of high school, who started as a true freshman for the Auburn Tigers in 2019.
Nix spent five seasons as a starter at the college level, the first three of which came at Auburn, before he transferred to the Oregon Ducks.
He threw for over 14,000 yards in his college career with 101 passing touchdowns. Adding to that, he ran for 1,806 rushing yards, scoring 38 TDs on the ground.
He was an extremely productive college quarterback, and those five years of starting experience in multiple schemes set him up for early success in the NFL.
Nix will now add everything he’s learned from Drew Brees to the knowledge he already has, as the Denver Broncos look to make a run in the playoffs in the 2025 season.
