Back at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Sean Payton wasn’t exactly shouting from the rooftops about Bo Nix being the Broncos’ next big thing. Fast forward a year, and well—guess who turned out to be one of the best picks Denver could’ve made? Not only did Nix put on a show in his rookie season, but the guy also dragged the Broncos out of a near-decade-long playoff drought. Talk about proving the doubters wrong.

Now that Nix is preparing to enter his second season with the team, Sean Payton and Co. decided to re-sign a backup QB for him. On Monday, the Broncos re-signed the QB Jarrett Stidham on a two-year, $12M contract extension. “OFFICIAL: We’ve re-signed QB Jarrett Stidham. Welcome back, Stiddy!” The Broncos shared on their social media handle.

Stidham has been with the Broncos for the last couple of seasons and served as the backup QB for the team in all 17 games in the 2024 season. During the 2024 offseason, Stidham competed for the starting QB role with Nix and later supported Nix during his rookie season. Though he couldn’t get an opportunity to start a game, the guy played late in three games of the regular season that the team eventually won.

“He’s been great to have all year, he’s taught me a lot about not only our scheme, but preparation and going against other teams,” Nix said about Stidham in January. “He’s a great guy to lean on, to talk to and get some information from. He works just as hard as I do. We’re out here competing together and wanting to put a good product on the field.” The 28-year-old QB started just four games in his pro football career with a track record of 1-3.

Stidham has recorded 1,422 yards on 117 completions out of 197 attempts and racked up 8 touchdowns across his six seasons in the league. As for the Broncos, he completed 40-of-66 passes for 496 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the last couple of seasons. Fast forward to now, Stidham is gearing up to enter the gridiron for his third season with the Broncos.

Can Bo Nix take a big step in year 2?

When the Broncos snagged Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick, the critics wasted no time nitpicking—mainly about his age. ‘Too old to be a rookie,’ they said. But let’s be real—the dude wasn’t just another fresh-faced prospect. He brought five years of college experience to the table, which, last time we checked, is a pretty solid perk. And the best part? He landed in the perfect spot to grow under Sean Payton. Talk about a win-win.

And that’s not all. Despite having the best rookie season by a QB, Nix is still underappreciated on the national level. But why? Well, some say that Nix doesn’t have elite mobility or a powerful deep throw, while others believe he’s inconsistent when it comes to long passes. However, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms has a different take on this. You see, Simms believes that despite the challenges that are waiting for Nix in his sophomore year, the QB will get better.

Not just that, Simms even warned the other teams to “watch out,” as the 25-year-old QB will only get better. “We are in this world right now where nobody can ever say they were wrong in their draft evaluation,” Simms said via Renck. “They have to make an excuse. A star fell from the galaxy and would have been a star, but the star hit him, and now he can’t be. Nix hasn’t hit his ceiling. I would say watch the (bleep) out. It’s going to keep going up.”

Well, the NFL teams have already watched films on Nix. The defenses will now try to find his weaknesses in his second season. That said, Sean Payton just needs to stay one step ahead if the Broncos really want to tackle the challenges for their QB. By the time the 2025 season kicks off, the team is expected to provide a strong supporting crew to Nix. After all, the QB is aiming to pick things up where he left off in the last season.