Sean Payton had to make many tough decisions after his debut season with the Denver Broncos ended with an 8-9 record last year. One of those was to part ways with QB Russell Wilson, which caused a record dead cap hit of $85 million. This financial deficit paralyzed the Broncos. But the head coach had a plan which has seen the team, with rookie Bo Nix at the helm, enter the playoffs this season. And, Pat McAfee is happy for how things have turned out for Payton and Denver.
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McAfee reminisced about how confident Payton sounded after drafting Nix 12th overall in the first round. It was a bold move, betting on a rookie to save the franchise while letting go of a Super Bowl-winning QB. But as McAfee recalled on X, Payton “knew immediately” that he had a gem.
The Broncos have made it to the postseason now, and that too, “without $45,000,000 in cap space” — something McAfee made sure to highlight in his post.
Here’s us talking to @SeanPayton on Draft Night about 15 minutes after they drafted Bo Nix..
HE KNEW IMMEDIATELY
Congrats to both of them on making the playoffs in his rookie year AND a year where they were without $45,000,000 in cap space
BRAVO @Broncos pic.twitter.com/cv50XzF7f5
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 6, 2025
If we recall Pat’s interview with Sean after Draft day, it’s evident how much effort the Broncos HC and his scouting team put into securing Nix. Payton had revealed that the Broncos had an extensive look at the prospect during Pro Day.
And then they invited him for private training, where the Oregon alum showcased his class. The QB threw over 80 passes with zero accuracy issues. The Broncos HC recalled being blown away by someone of Bo’s size doing the things he did during the private workout. By the end of the session, Sean knew exactly who his QB from the draft would be.
“Bo was so impressive… And I just remember that we got in the car afterwards and I just looked around and I said, ‘Are you kidding me’?” Payton had told McAfee.
Sean’s instinct definitely proved right. Bo has excelled week in and week out, amassing 3,775 passing yards and 29 TDs in his first season. And he rightly finds himself in contention for the NFL Rookie of the Year award.
