Sean Payton Prepared to Gamble on Zach Wilson and Bench Bo Nix Despite Resoundingly Comparing Broncos Rookie to SB-Winning QBs

Brace yourselves for this bombshell: Sean Payton is potentially putting his chips on Zach Wilson, the embattled former New York Jets quarterback, to potentially lead Denver’s offense, in place of the highly-touted rookie Bo Nix. Despite selecting Nix with the 12th overall pick, a prospect Payton has resoundingly compared to Super Bowl winners Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes, the Broncos are keeping Wilson firmly “in the mix” for the starting job, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

This high-stakes gamble on Wilson is a quintessential Payton move – bold, calculated, and defying conventional wisdom. After Wilson’s nightmarish tenure in New York, where he amassed a dismal 12-21 record as a starter with more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23), few expected him to get another shot at QB1. Yet, Payton sees something in the 24-year-old that others have missed, a belief in his “live arm strength” and “positive state of mind” that could unlock his potential.

“They’re trying to regain his confidence again,” Fowler stated, underscoring Payton’s mission to resurrect Wilson’s career. It’s a Hail Mary pass of sorts, a bet on pure upside that could either rejuvenate the Broncos’ quarterback woes or blow up spectacularly in Payton’s face.

But if there’s one thing the Super Bowl-winning coach has proven, it’s his ability to navigate the complexities of the quarterback position. After all, this is the same mastermind who intended to draft Mahomes in 2017 before the Chiefs leapfrogged the Saints. Payton’s eye for talent is undeniable.

“It’s kind of the orphan group. They’re all orphan dogs,” Payton told reporters recently, referring to the Broncos’ quarterback room. “They’ve come from somewhere but they’re doing good.” It’s a telling analogy, one that encapsulates Payton’s willingness to take in the castoffs and misfits, believing he can mold them into champions.

However, Payton’s gamble on Wilson has its risks, especially when it comes to the pressure of sidelining Bo Nix, the rookie QB caught in the crosshairs of lofty comparisons.

Bo Nix is navigating the weight of comparisons to Brees and Mahomes

While Zach Wilson represents Payton’s high-risk, high-reward bet, Nix finds himself in an equally precarious position: navigating the immense expectations set by his coach’s glowing comparisons to NFL legends Brees and Mahomes.

“Payton feels as strongly about Bo Nix as he did Mahomes,” Adam Schefter reported before the Broncos drafted him in April, a statement that raised eyebrows across the league. It’s a comparison that carries the weight of a thousand expectations, likening Nix not only to Brees’ surgical accuracy and leadership but also to Mahomes’ game-changing, otherworldly talents. Payton himself pointed to the similarities between Nix and Brees, stating Via DNVR Sports, “I would say mentally, [Nix] wants to know as much and as fast as he can… I think there’s maybe a maturity level because, again, [Nix] played 61 games [in college] and when [the Saints] got Drew, it was off of his rookie contract and coming off an injury.”

For a rookie who many analysts didn’t project as a first-round pick, the pressure is immense. Nix now finds himself caught between two iconic quarterbacks, forced to straddle the line between Brees’ metronomic precision and Mahomes’ jaw-dropping improvisational skills. “Bo brings a lot of really good qualities to our team in terms of the quarterback position,” Courtland Sutton stated, underlining the high hopes surrounding the Oregon product. “He does a lot of things really, really well on the field. … He has that leader mentality, that aura that he walks with.”

Yet, as lofty as the comparisons are, Payton’s actions speak louder than words. In a move shrouded in secrecy, the Broncos coach went to extreme lengths to hide his draft preference for Nix, even keeping his own scouts and executives in the dark. As Zac Stevens reported, “The Broncos’ draft board in the draft room was not in order of preference, instead just random… Only a small group knew the order, including Sean Payton, George Paton & Greg Penner.”

This cloak-and-dagger approach underscores the high stakes surrounding Nix’s selection and Payton’s belief in his potential as a franchise quarterback. It’s a level of confidence that could either pay dividends or set Nix up for failure, a weight that even the most seasoned veterans would struggle to bear.

Moreover, Payton’s willingness to give Wilson a legitimate shot at the starting job adds another layer of complexity to Nix’s situation. As the coach stated, “We just felt like, ‘Man, we’d love to work with this guy.’ It wasn’t too long ago we remembered grading him. [We] felt the investment was worth it relative to his skill set and his talent.”

As the Broncos embark on this unconventional path, with Payton gambling on Wilson’s resurgence and Nix shouldering the burden of astronomical expectations, one thing is clear: the 2024 season will be a rollercoaster ride for Broncos Country.