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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
If Bo Nix is looking for motivation, he won’t have to look far. He simply needs an internet connection.
Once Nix gets there, he can make the logical leap NFL insiders don’t think much of what he can accomplish in his second season as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback.
That’s thinking was underlined pretty explicitly when Fox Sports NFL Reporter Henry McKenna put Nix at No. 14 in his NFL starting QB rankings. That’s 2 spots behind Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has never started a game.
Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, started all 17 games for the Broncos in 2024 and led them to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He was also the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up.
McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, tore his meniscus after the preseason opener last season, had surgery, and spent the entire season on injured reserve. He was the first quarterback selected in the first round to miss his entire rookie season due to injury.
“You could put just about anyone in the Vikings’ QB slot, and I’d get excited about him,” McKenna wrote. “But McCarthy was a top-10 pick in what’s shaping up to be an incredible QB class. This year, McCarthy might look like 2023 Brock Purdy — an athletic point guard with an idyllic supporting cast.”
On second thought, maybe it’s better if Nix stays off the internet for the time being.
McCarthy, Nix Part of Record Run on QBs
McCarthy and Nix were part of one of the more exciting first rounds in NFL draft history in 2024 — a record-tying 6 quarterbacks were taken in the first round as well as a record-setting 14 offensive players taken with the first 14 picks.
McCarthy led Michigan to an undefeated season and the College Football Playoff national championship in 2023 and was expected to compete with Sam Darnold to start for the Vikings in 2024. With McCarthy out, Darnold threw for career highs of 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
Despite those numbers, the Vikings had enough confidence in McCarthy to let Darnold leave for a 3-year, $100 million free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Nix, on the other hand, beat out a pair of veterans in Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson in training camp to become the Broncos’ starter.
Nix Disrespected in PFF Rankings As Well
Fox Sports aren’t the only ones betting Nix will fall flat in his second season.
In the latest PFF rankings of all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks, Nix was slotted at No. 19 overall — 6 spots behind where he was in McKenna’s rankings.
“There are three quarterbacks Nix deserves to be ahead of based on last season: Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa,” The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote on May 24. “Murray and Tua get bumped because of injuries and Lawrence just isn’t that guy anymore. He owns a 2-13 record over his past 15 games with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions … So, no, 19th does not do him justice. Not his rookie season. Or where he is going.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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