The Denver Broncos, all of a sudden, are, at worst, a top-3 team in the NFL. You could very easily argue that this is the second-best team in the league right now based on how the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl went.
While that is refreshing, it's also a bit disappointing given the 'what if' of the situation. Anyway, Sean Payton has been at the front of this insane franchise turnaround, but the winning did not start until Bo Nix arrived in 2024. Since then, the Broncos have gone 24-10 in the regular season and are a juggernaut.
Sure, the Broncos have their own roster issues, but when you take an aerial look across the league, it's clear just how enviable of a position the Broncos are in compared to many teams.
The Denver Broncos have the ideal quarterback situation for the modern-day NFL
This update from Matthew Berry based on what he heard at the NFL Combine really puts in perspective how dysfunctional some teams are at the quarterback position.
"9. Back to Minnesota. They are casting a wide net looking for a veteran arm that is NOT just depth but rather could potentially start for them and certainly bring real competition to McCarthy. They’ll take a look at potentially trying to get Malik Willis, trade for Mac Jones or sign Daniel Jones but the thought is that it’ll cost so much to get one of them that they would HAVE to make them the starter and be done with McCarthy, so they’ll probably go a little cheaper. They would look at Kyler Murray or Geno Smith if he becomes available. They like Geno a lot. If that doesn’t work out, they’ll look to an older veteran. Yes, a reunion with Kirk Cousins makes a lot of sense. I could also see them make a run at Joe Flacco or the aforementioned Rodgers. However I’m told that, despite what some press reports say out there, they do NOT have interest in Tua Tagovailoa."
There aren't many words to describe just how horrific of a situation this is for the Minnesota Vikings. Earlier in this piece, Berry also mentioned that he heard Malik Willis would head to the Arizona Cardinals in free agency for $30 million per season.
$30 million per season.
Willis has 155 career passing attempts. Not only are the Vikings and Cardinals in a horrendous quarterback situation, but other teams like the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and even Pittsburgh Steelers have massive quarterback uncertainty.
But the Vikings specific situation relates to the Broncos a bit, as Minnesota traded ahead of Denver during the 2024 NFL Draft to snag JJ McCarthy, who has largely not been able to stay on the field but has also been thoroughly below average when he's able to get on the field.
Not only do the Broncos clearly have a franchise quarterback, but Nix is still right in the middle of his rookie deal and may have very well led his team to a Super Bowl this year. Denver did take the path that teams like the Vikings will take this offseason. For years, the Broncos fooled around with the position and simply weren't approaching it the right way.
The over-the-hill veterans and NFL Draft whiffs really came to a boil in that infamous 2022 season. Thankfully, they were able to dig out of it, and hopefully, for the long-term, the Broncos continue to be rewarded for finding the right guy.