Fifty-two days! That’s the exact number of days it took the Denver Broncos to release Russell Wilson, get over him, and announce his replacement – Oregon Ducks’ Bo Nix.

No one could have seen this in 2022 when Wilson drew much hype over his ‘blockbuster trade’ from the Seattle Seahawks to the Broncos. Three coaches, two seasons, and a lot of criticisms later, he is no longer the Broncos’ QB they once hailed so highly. Wilson was released on the 4th of March. Now, the hype around Bo Nix’s arrival follows a similar pattern, being touted as the next franchise quarterback.

The Broncos might have released the bearer of a Super Bowl ring, but Coach Sean Payton might have found the perfect replacement. Or so this decorated college football HC believes.

Bo Nix is an Alpha Dog!

On 28th October 2023, Kyle Whittingham’s Utah Utes faced an Oregon Ducks team led by Nix. Although his side lost harrowingly, 35-6, to the Ducks, Whittingham has nothing but respect for the young QB.

“He is tremendous. Boy, he did a number on us this year,” the Utes’ HC said on the DNVR Broncos Podcast when asked what Nix brings to the Broncos. “He’s first of all got that ultimate field general mentality that you want in a quarterback. He is an Alpha Dog,” Whittingham continued in praise of the 24-year-old QB.

Can you blame him? The stat sheet does not lie… In the Ducks-Utes game alone, the 6-foot-2 QB threw for 248 yards on 77.4 percent completion – a record-setting feat. He also added three total touchdowns without a single turnover.

The NFL is now more than warned against Nix! But Whittingham has an even stronger word for advice for the NFL and the opposition as he believes Coach Payton has the ‘next’ Drew Brees at his disposal.

Will Bo Nix follow the path of Russell Wilson or Drew Brees?

Whittingham compared Nix to the legendary QB Brees, taking his compliments further up a notch. “There are some similarities there. I think Coach Payton is really going to like Bo and I think he’s probably going to find that there’s probably a lot of common ground between him and Drew Brees. Obviously, Drew Brees was one of the best to ever do it. But that’s the mold he comes from, in my opinion,”  the experienced HC said on the podcast.

Twenty seasons, one Super Bowl championship, second all-time in career passing yards, career touchdown passes, career pass completions, and career completion percentage. Brees was notably one of the best ever to do it. But the question is, will Bo Nix be able to reciprocate such hype or succumb to the pressure of high expectations? As we saw in the case of Russell Wilson.

Although truth be told, the comparison was sprung long before Whittingham’s appearance on the podcast. Soon after the Broncos used the 12-overall pick on Nix, he was called Brees 2.0. And why not? During his first year, he set career-high marks with a 71.9 completion percentage, 3,593 passing yards, and 29 passing touchdowns, while also rushing for 14 scores. In his last season, he set an FBS record with a 77.45 completion percentage. Not forgetting the final at Oregon, which was his 61st career start – setting another FBS record.

There is a long way to go for Nix but he sure can say that he has a high-profile, decorated, fan in Whittingham backing him to the end!