The Broncos finally have continuity and stability at their two biggest leadership positions.
This is set to be a big year for both Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. Not just because Nix finished top three in Rookie of the Year voting and the Broncos made the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
But also, because this will be the first time in over a decade that Denver has returned both their starting quarterback and head coach from the previous season.
It’s a stat that almost must be seen to believe.
- 2014 Fox/Manning
- 2015 Kubiak/Manning
- 2016 Kubiak/Siemian
- 2017 Joseph/Siemian
- 2018 Joseph/Keenum
- 2019 Fangio/Flacco
- 2020 Fangio/Lock
- 2021 Fangio/Bridgewater
- 2022 Hackett/Wilson
- 2023 Payton/Wilson
- 2024 Payton/Nix
- 2025 Payton/Nix
Ever since John Fox and Peyton Manning returned in the 2014 season, the Broncos have been onboarding either a new head coach or a new quarterback (sometimes both) heading into the season.
It’s not a coincidence that Denver’s record and performance has been as rocky and sputtered along under .500 for most of that stretch.
Just listen to how Bo Nix and Sean Payton talk about coming back into the same situation and how valuable continuity is – something Bo hasn’t had in his career since high school.
“Honestly, it felt weird because it hasn’t been since high school. I’m just used to learning different things, so it’s good not to have to learn an entire new system this year and have the same play caller and have the same quarterback coach. [Also], the same guys you’re throwing it to. The same center and the same line. Being the same, it’s going to be — it’s hard to even explain. You’re going to see it in ways that you can’t even understand. It’s just a natural thing to go out there and just pick up right where you left off and not have to restart.”
Sean Payton has noticed as well, saying that Bo looks just that much more comfortable today than this time last year, and it shows with how he operates in the huddle and with teammates.
So, we know continuity is something Payton and Nix recognize and value, but just how valuable is it historically in the NFL?
Since 2000, there have only been two teams who haven’t had a returning head coach and still won the Super Bowl, the 2002 Buccaneers with Jon Gruden and 2015 Denver Broncos with Gary Kubiak. Aside from a few dark horse examples like Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson and Nick Foles, or stars switching teams like Brady and Stafford, the Super Bowl winning quarterbacks of the last 25 years have been established starters paired with their head coach for multiple seasons: Belichick & Brady, Dungy & P. Manning, Payton & Brees, Coughlin & E. Manning, McCarthy & Rodgers, Harbaugh & Flacco, Carroll & Wilson, Reid & Mahomes, and recently Sirianni & Hurts.
Having head coach/quarterback obviously doesn’t guarantee success as an organization, but it’s essentially table stakes to being successful in the NFL. Having stability and continuity at those two positions allows the team to build around them and establish a culture and system that highlights their mutual strengths.
And with a young quarterback, stability and continuity is almost mandatory for them to succeed. Look across the league at the young quarterbacks of the last ten years who have risen to the top. Mahomes is the best example. He and Reid have been joined at the hip since being drafted and we all know too painfully how that has played out for Kansas City. But he’s not the only one.
John Harbaugh’s steady hand in Baltimore has allowed Lamar Jackson to thrive. Josh Allen has had Sean McDermott his entire career. Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor in Cincinnati have been together since the beginning and made a Super Bowl. Speaking of Super Bowls, Jalen Hurts has undoubtedly benefitted from Nick Sirianni’s stability and team building.
Even further back a few years, guys like Cam Newton with Ron Rivera, Russell Wilson with Pete Carroll, and Dak Prescott with Jason Garrett had the luxury of multiple seasons in lockstep with their head coach.
Contrast that with guys like Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert who clearly have talent but have had bumpy starts to their career with multiple head coaches cycling through. Now you could argue it’s a self-reinforcing cycle and these two positions’ fates are inextricably linked. As long as they’re winning, of course they stay together. Conversely, we see plenty of QBs get their coaches fired for not playing well.
While there may be some truth to that, I think the evidence both historically and anecdotally point to a simple fact. It’s hard to build a consistent Super Bowl contender while playing merry-go-round with the two most impactful leaders on the team. A lesson Denver has learned the hard way, and I pray to the football gods one they don’t have to learn again for a very very long time.