If you’ve spent any time at a Mile High tailgate over the last eight years, you know the vibe. It was a carousel. A relentless, exhausting, and often painful revolving door of quarterbacks that made the post-Peyton Manning era feel like a fever dream. But the question of who is the QB for the Broncos finally has a definitive, non-depressing answer: Bo Nix.
He isn't just "the guy" because he’s wearing the jersey. He’s the guy because he actually survived Sean Payton’s gauntlet and, honestly, thrived in it.
The Bo Nix Era: More Than Just a Rookie Spark
Bo Nix took the reins as the starter in 2024 and hasn't looked back. Well, mostly. There was that brutal debut against Seattle where he threw for 138 yards on 26 completions—a record for the fewest yards with that many completions. It was rough. People panicked. The "here we go again" tweets were flying.
But then things clicked.
By the end of his rookie campaign, Nix didn't just play; he rewrote the Denver record books. We're talking 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. He broke every major rookie passing record the franchise had, which, granted, wasn't a sky-high bar, but he cleared it by a mile. He led the team to 10 wins and a playoff berth in year one.
Coming into the 2025 season, the narrative shifted from "can he play?" to "how far can he take them?" He responded by dropping 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading Denver to a 14-3 record and the AFC's No. 1 seed.
💡 You might also like: Listen to Dodger Game: How to Catch Every Pitch Without a Cable Bill
The Playoff Plot Twist
Here is where things get tense. As of January 2026, the Broncos are deep in a playoff run, but the quarterback room just got hit with a sledgehammer. During the divisional round win against the Buffalo Bills, Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle.
It's a gut punch.
The team confirmed he’s out for the remainder of the postseason. So, while Nix is "the quarterback," he won't be the one taking snaps in the AFC Championship Game. That responsibility now falls to a name Broncos fans have seen before.
The Depth Chart: Who Steps Up Now?
With Nix sidelined, the spotlight shifts to the veterans in the room. Sean Payton doesn't do "simple," so the hierarchy matters immensely right now.
- Jarrett Stidham: He’s the immediate "next man up." Stidham has been the steady veteran hand in Denver since 2023. He knows the system inside and out. He’s close friends with Nix, too. Stidham is the guy tasked with keeping the Super Bowl dream alive while the starter watches from the trainers' room.
- Sam Ehlinger: Recently promoted from the practice squad to the active roster in early January 2026. He’s the emergency backup. You hope you don't see him on the field, because that would mean something went very wrong with Stidham, but he’s there for the mobility he brings.
- The Zach Wilson Era (is over): Just a quick reminder for those who missed the roster purge—Wilson isn't in the mix here.
Why Sean Payton Loves Nix
It’s about the "processing." That’s the word you hear constantly around Dove Valley. Payton famously values a quarterback who can get the ball out on time and avoid the "negative play."
📖 Related: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Nix was essentially built in a lab for this. In 2025, his pressure-to-sack rate was a measly 10.1%, which ranked near the top of the league. He doesn't take the big, drive-killing losses that plagued the Russell Wilson era. He’s also sneaky fast. He’s notched 9 rushing touchdowns over his first two seasons, often pulling the ball on a zone read when the defense overcommits to the running back.
Addressing the "Checkdown" Allegations
Early on, the knock on Nix was that he was a "checkdown king." Critics pointed to his low air yards per attempt. And yeah, in his first few games, he was living in the 0-5 yard range.
But look at the 2025 tape.
He developed a legitimate deep-ball connection with Courtland Sutton. Sutton finished 2025 with over 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns, many of those coming on those "50/50" balls that Nix finally started trusting him to win. He also has a massive target in Evan Engram, who moved over to Denver to provide a safety valve in the middle of the field.
The offense isn't just dink-and-dunk anymore. It’s a calculated, high-efficiency machine that ranks 8th in passing yards across the NFL.
👉 See also: Lawrence County High School Football: Why Friday Nights in Louisa Still Hit Different
The Financial Reality
Nix is currently the ultimate "value play" for the Broncos. Because he was a 12th overall pick in 2024, he’s on a four-year, $18 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
In a world where guys like Josh Allen are making $40 million to $60 million a year, having a top-10 production guy like Nix for a fraction of that cost is basically a cheat code for roster building. It’s why Denver was able to go out and snag defensive help like Dre Greenlaw and keep the offensive line intact with Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz.
What's Next for the Denver QB Room?
The immediate future is all about the playoffs and whether Jarrett Stidham can channel his inner Nick Foles. But looking past this month, the position is more stable than it’s been in a decade.
If you’re tracking the Broncos, here is what you need to watch for in the coming months:
- Nix’s Recovery Timeline: A broken ankle is no joke, but the timing in January suggests he should be full-go for training camp in July 2026.
- The Draft Strategy: Denver likely won't touch a QB early in the 2026 draft, but they might look for a high-end backup if they feel Stidham is more of a short-term fix.
- The Contract Watch: Once Nix hits the end of year three, the "mega-extension" talk starts. If he continues this trajectory, he’s looking at a $250 million+ payday.
The search is over. The "who is the QB for the Broncos" question finally has an answer that doesn't involve a shrug and a sigh. It's Bo Nix’s team—even if he has to watch the biggest game of his life from the sidelines this year.
To get a better feel for the current roster dynamics, you should keep an eye on the Wednesday injury reports and Sean Payton’s Monday morning press conferences, as that's where the real "chess match" details about the backup transition usually slip out.