The Denver Broncos drafted Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he already might have some impossible shoes to fill. It is well-documented that Broncos head coach Sean Payton was dying to draft Patrick Mahomes back in 2017. Well, the New Orleans Saints had planned on picking Mahomes with their 11th pick, but were jumped by the Kansas City Chiefs.
And the rest is history. Payton missing out on Mahomes is surely still nagging at him today; I mean, Mahomes is arguably the best QB to step foot on this Earth. If he retires tomorrow, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It's a sad situation for Denver Broncos fans, as the fanbase and organization has had to watch Mahomes and the Chiefs win three Super Bowls in five seasons.
Anyway, this bit of information from Adam Schefter popped up during the 2024 NFL Draft, and it does nothing but put a ton of pressure on Bo Nix:
Sean Payton wanted and intended to draft Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft, when he held the 11thoverall pick. He was ready to turn in the card. But before he could, the Chiefs traded up to the Bills’ spot at No. 10 and took Mahomes one spot before Payton got him, leaving the… https://t.co/GdsRSCqryx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2024
Here's the quote that I am referencing in his tweet:
"Payton feels as strongly about Bo Nix as he did Mahomes."Adam Schefter
...As strong about Bo Nix as he did Mahomes????
You know what; I am not an NFL coach and I run a 5.12 40-yard dash. All I do is type articles for you to read, so I have no business questioning how Sean Payton, a Hall of Fame offensive mind, thinks about a certain QB prospect. Payton's confidence in Bo Nix is quite something, and to an extent, it gives Nix some impossible shoes to fill.
There probably won't be another human being like Mahomes to play in the NFL. Yes, there's Brady, and Mahomes isn't particularly close to Brady yet, but you get my point. For Bo Nix, not only does he have this pressure, but he has the pressure of playing for a QB-starved fanbase that has had to watch about 389 different passers take snaps for the Broncos since 2016.
Denver really hasn't had a problem with their defense. The QB issue has turned this franchise upside down, and now the young Nix is tasked with flipping the organization right-side up. But for Sean Payton to think this is just mind-blowing. Does Payton think that Bo Nix can be as good as Mahomes?
Or does he think that he knows for sure that Bo Nix is going to be an NFL franchise QB?