Nicks, the former Oregon Ducks quarterback, continues to receive praise from Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, who is normally reluctant to publicly praise his players, and after a few weeks of practice, Nicks appears firmly in the running to be the starting quarterback.
“It's hard to keep up with you guys like a Netflix series,” Payton said after Denver's team activities. “You guys only watched one. [episode]and missed three, and saw one, so I'm trying to catch up with you. [the quarterbacks] Things are going well. Bo, in particular, is doing really well. He's getting better. There's a lot going on. He's throwing the ball really well.”
Payton said last week that the former Heisman Trophy finalist is “ahead of most players.”
Payton's praise doesn't guarantee Knicks will be Denver's starter in Week 1, but it's certainly encouraging to know the former Ducks forward has solid competition with veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.
The 24-year-old Nixon was selected 12th overall by Denver in the 2024 NFL Draft, and so far Payton and the Broncos seem ecstatic about their investment.
Nicks is fresh off his best season ever, setting a new 2023 NCAA record for completion percentage at 77.45%, completing 364 of 470 passes. The most experienced quarterback in the 2024 draft, Nicks made 61 career starts, breaking the all-time record for most appearances by an FBS quarterback.
Can he quickly adapt to the NFL?
His adopted son, Tez Johnson, now a wide receiver at the University of Oregon, thinks so too, and predicts the Knicks and Payton could win the Super Bowl as soon as this season.
“Whichever team Bo goes to, they're going to be successful,” Johnson told Oregon Sports Illustrated's Bri Amaranthes. “No question about it. He's the best guy in the NFL. Unbelievable guy.”
Payton detailed the big differences between college and the NFL that the rookie quarterback and the Knicks will face.
“I think you start to get a feel for the difference in speed, the difference in reaction, the difference in length right away. In college, the opportunities were a lot bigger,” Payton said. “Then you start to adjust to the timing, generally speaking. All of the Broncos quarterbacks [do is] Getting the ball out quickly. Holding the ball and waiting can obviously be a disadvantage sometimes. I think it's about studying and understanding the defensive schemes and understanding where the opportunities are space-wise. I think it starts when you first come here and everyone is moving around at full speed. It's like, 'Wow!' We've got a little bit more speed on the simulator.”
