Is Denver Broncos' Bo Nix The Next Drew Brees? Former NFL Quarterbacks Sound Off

With the Super Bowl only days away, many sports media personalities descending on the Big Easy the week of the Super Bowl, many sports takes started flying. Former NFL quarterbacks Chris Simms and Dan Orlovsky had some high praise for Denver Broncos' quarterback and former Oregon Duck Bo Nix.

"We know Jayden Daniels is the best runner in the (2024) draft," Simms said during a DNVR Broncos Podcast taping at the Super Bowl, "But I thought “Bo Nix and Caleb Williams were the best scramblers (out of the rookie quarterbacks) like, could make people miss in the pocket then to throw the football that way. They were incredible."

Nix was a breath of fresh air for the Denver Broncos, as he led the Broncos to their first post season appearance in nearly nine years with a 31-7 loss against the Buffalo Bills in a Wild Card match-up. For Simms, Nix's talent was evident as soon as the Duck displayed his talents at the NFL Combine.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) signals to the players before the snap during the first half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Of course knew he was smart. and understood football and all that stuff," Simms continued. "I called that at the combine last year. I said 'Bo Nix - Drew Brees Jr. - going to Denver. Guaranteed it."

Earlier this year, former backup quarterback for Brees, Chase Daniel, also highlighted the similarities between the rookie Bronco and the former New Orleans Saints great. This similarity is only heightened by Nix being molded by Brees' old head coach, Sean Payton.

I spent 5 years with Drew Brees and I can’t tell you how much I’ve seen Bo Nix morph into him this year.

Demeanor, mannerisms, & cadence sounds exactly like him.
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) December 3, 2024

And that's not all. During the same day Simms compared Nix to Brees, former 12-season NFL veteran quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky also spoke to DNVR Broncos Podcast about Nix being similar to Brees.

"We're not saying they're the same player. We're saying the style of play is similar. Think some of the mannerisms are similar. Obviously Drew was one of the greats and a Hall of Famer. So, there's a very high bar that I think one, the consistent ball placement - accuracy in the quick game," Dan Orlovsky said to DNVR Broncos Podcast.

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And that's a big deal because it leads to yards after the catch for an offense and that's a foundational piece of (Sean Payton's) offense," Orlovsky continued. "I think, two, the ability to operate the play action pass. Again, a huge part of Sean's offense, and there's a lot of intellectual strain of Sean Payton's quarterbacks."

Dan Orlovsky on the comparisons made between Drew Brees and Bo Nix:

“A lot of the style bodes well for Bo to be very similar” @danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/hyYIozsn5F
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) February 6, 2025

During his first season with the Broncos, Nix impressed. He finished 12th in the league in passing yards with 3,775, made 6th for most touchdowns with 29, and tied for 99th with 12 interceptions. Nix had the most games by a rookie with 200-plus passing yards and two-plus touchdowns with zero interceptions in NFL history.

His 19 home field touchdowns became the most a rookie has made in NFL history and he's second for total touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback, only bested by fellow former Duck Justin Herbert.

Known for being a dual-threat with quick legs, Nix rushed for 430 yards off 92 carries in 2024, picking up four touchdowns.

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