Even Former NFL QBs Don’t Know What Bo Nix Is Worth

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix takes plenty of criticism from a variety of sources, but former NFL quarterbacks are perhaps the harshest. Ryan Fitzpatrick called Nix’s performance “garbage” against the Seattle Seahawks, but Nix is starting to redeem himself a little. 

But there are still issues at hand, with Nix’s value going forward being one of the biggest. He’s coming to the end of his rookie contract, and Sean Keeler of the Denver Post did an intriguing piece on Nix’s worth that included comments from ex-QBs. 

Hugh Millen wasn’t a very good NFL quarterback, but he did come up with an interesting phrase to summarize this, and it was pithy. Millen said “the end crowns the work,” which is a fancy way of saying that we need to wait a bit before we judge Nix to be a bust or a success.

The name that. comes up frequently in these discussions is Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who just cashed in with a three-year deal for $165 million to extend his quarterback stint with a team that's barely made the playoffs. 

It’s a controversial number that’s blown up the market, per Keeler, especially given the comps when you put Nix up against Mayfield. The columnist offered eight different categories and metrics, and Nix came out ahead in five of them. 

Does that put Nix in the same neighborhood? Former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer said “yeah, I believe it does” when he was asked about this version of the numbers game, and he talked about what Nix has done for the organization with his impact as the Broncos have returned to prominence as perennial contenders. 

The adage that Plummer invoked is that if you win games, you deserve to get paid, and the former Denver QB went a little overboard by saying Nix is “probably getting underpaid” regardless of what he gets. 

The counter is that Nix wins because of his coach and the talent around him, but Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon disagrees. He points to Nix’s fourth-quarter performnces to justify the number, but Moon also recognized that paying Nix would force the Broncos to jettison some other players who are producing at a high level. 

It’s a complicated problem, and it’s not going to be easy to solve. The Broncos are currently 6-2 after a rough start, and they have a relatively soft stretch of games coming that could bolster Nix’s arguments if Denver continues to win.