Here’s why Broncos’ Sean Payton says Bo Nix is similar to Drew Brees, and why he’s different

It was no secret in the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft that the Denver Broncos were looking for a quarterback. They had cut ties with Russell Wilson ahead of free agency, and were left with only Jarrett Stidham, and later Zach Wilson, on the depth chart. 

Rumors abounded that the Broncos would try to move up for one of the top passers in the class, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the Broncos stuck at No. 12 overall and picked former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. One person who was excited by the pick was Nix’s probable top passing-game target: Wide receiver Courtland Sutton. 

“Bo brings a lot of really good qualities to our team in terms of the quarterback position,” Sutton said, via DNVR Sports. “He does a lot of things really, really well on the field. … He has that leader mentality, that aura that he walks with.”

As for Broncos head coach Sean Payton, he’s also been pretty excited about Nix. Asked this week whether he sees any similarities between Nix and Drew Brees, the quarterback who led the New Orleans Saints for most of Payton’s tenure, the coach said he sees both similarities and differences.

“All right, we’re looking for similarities. I would say mentally, [Nix] wants to know as much and as fast as he can,” Payton said, also via DNVR Sports. “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.”

He also pointed to the fact that Nix “locates the ball well and he’s accurate” in the same way Brees was. 

However, Payton also noted that they’re not exactly the same player. Apparently, dealing with them on a personal level can be quite a bit different. “Their personalities are different,” Payton said. “[Nix is] the son of a coach. Drew wasn’t necessarily the son of a coach.”

How that translates to working within the team and the offense remains to be seen. How it translates to working alongside Payton does as well. Brees had more success than just about any QB in football with Payton at the controls of the offense, though, and the Broncos would surely take that type of performance no matter what personality with which it comes.