Vic Fangio Sounds Off on Bo Nix Ahead of Broncos-Eagles Week 5 Tilt

Consider Vic Fangio a fan of Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. With the Broncos set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the veteran defensive coordinator weighed in on the Nix subject, comparing him to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"He's a lot like Baker Mayfield. I think he might be Baker's younger brother. Really good, really, really good. ...I mean he's a scrambler, he's a competitor," Fangio said this week, via Zack Berman of The Athletic. "He'll throw the ball in tight places. He runs their offense really well. I think Sean's [Payton] done a great job bringing him along and they got their quarterback for the future. They looked long and hard for many years and they've got one."

Importance of a QB Stability

Only a few years removed from serving as the Broncos' head coach (2019-21), Fangio understands the importance of a team landing a franchise quarterback. While Fangio didn't categorize Nix as a 'franchise' guy, many people use that phrase interchangably with "quarterback for the future."

The absence of a franchise quarterback is what ultimately doomed Fangio's regime in Denver. With John Elway as general manager for two of Fangio's three years as ahead coach, the Broncos first hoped to extract meaningful play from Joe Flacco, while drafting Drew Lock in the second round to groom behind him.

Flacco got hurt and flamed out less than halfway through the 2019 season, and Lock eventually took over for the final five games. Although Lock's initial showing was positive, going 4-1, his trajectory as the Broncos' possible quarterback of the future was derailed when he suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder in Week 2 of the 2020 season.

Lock returned a few weeks later, but he never could quite get back on track. Fast forward to 2021, and Fangio was feeling the pressure. He wanted to hedge a little bit by bringing in a veteran quarterback to compete with Lock.

Enter Teddy Bridgewater, who vanquished Lock in the open competition for the Broncos' starting quarterback job in training camp, and the rest is history. Bridgewater played out the majority of the 2021 season as the Broncos' starter, with Lock spelling him for three starts.

Fangio was fired after the 2021 season. He spent 2022 out of football, but returned in 2023. Sean Payton had just been hired as the Broncos' head coach, replacing Fangio's failed successor, Nathaniel Hackett.

Fangio Declined Payton's Offer