The Denver Broncos have gone all in on Bo Nix. The Denver Post's Troy Renck sees the organizational shift that's taken place over Nix's two NFL seasons and in his third offseason, claiming that it's clear GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton.
Renck believes Nix's sway revealed itself with the trade acquisition of Jaylen Waddle, a former Iron Bowl rival for the Alabama Crimson Tide, from the Miami Dolphins in March, right after the initial slew of free agent moves.
Per Renck, "Reticent to question anything from coach Sean Payton as a rookie, Nix began voicing his opinion about preferring uptempo last season. He also has no issue screaming at Payton over slow substitutions, something that played out on a weekly basis. And the offseason has only amplified his gravitas."
"He cemented every belief about his character by the way he tackled his ankle rehab, and showed his growth by speaking up about Waddle. Write it off as him having a strong opinion because he played against the receiver at Alabama in the Iron Bowl if you must. In my belief, there is more to it than that," Renck added.
Did Broncos leak fake Aaron Rodgers rumor to affirm Bo Nix's stature?
It's been an interesting few weeks for Nix, who, on one hand, was seen as instrumental in Denver landing Waddle, but on the other hand, was questioned as the team's true franchise quarterback for a brief moment on April Fool's Day.
This past Wednesday, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio floated the possibility of the Broncos signing Aaron Rodgers to temporarily take the reins in Payton's offense. Very quickly, local media shot that idea down, and by the end of the day, it was clear the rumor never had legs.
Why did it start at all? It's not inconceivable to think Denver wanted to make it clear that they are all in on Nix, and perhaps were testing the waters to see what the reaction would be.
The consensus: Nix is a better leader than Rodgers and is 100% the better option to lead the Broncos to the promised land.
Perhaps that was always the end game, to seek that reaction from the masses. Mission accomplished, if so.