Broncos QB Room Ranked Among NFL's Worst for 2025 Season

The Denver Broncos appear poised to head into the 2025 campaign with a quarterback collective of Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Sam Ehlinger — a stable that evidently doesn't inspire much outside confidence.

CBS Sports' Garrett Podell recently ranked the Broncos' QB room among the NFL's worst, knocking Nix as a "conservative game manager" while characterizing Stidham and Ehlinger as "nothing to write home about."

"Denver Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix had a strong regular season as a rookie," Podell allowed. "His 29 touchdowns passing were the second-most ever by rookie behind only Justin Herbert's 31. He and 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniles are the only rookies in NFL history with at least 10 wins, 4,000 or more total yards and 30 or more total touchdowns in a season, per CBS Sports Research.

"However, his conservative, game manager style of play led to a struggle-filled day in his NFL postseason debut at the Buffalo Bills. In the regular season, Nix averaged 7.3 air yards per pass attempt, which ranked 26th out 36 qualified quarterbacks in 2024. He threw for 144 yards on 13 of 22 passing and a touchdown as well as a rushing for a team-high 43 yards on four carries. Buffalo played to stop the run to force Nix to beat them with his arm, and he failed to do so in a 31-7 beatdown loss. He still has some work to do to become a bigger threat through the air to NFL defenses in 2025.

"Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham has bounced around the NFL, suiting up for the New England Patriots (2019-20), Las Vegas Raiders (2022) and the Broncos (2023-present). Nothing yet to write home about. Third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger is on a similar trajectory to Stidham, signing with Denver after three seasons as a backup on the Indianapolis Colts from 2021-2023."

Nevermind Podell's freezing-cold history — he predicted a last-place finish for the club in 2024 — this sort of discourse has become the norm for Nix and the Broncos, even after the former led the latter to its first playoff appearance in nearly a decade, breaking multiple records along the way.

FanDuel omitted Nix from a list of the top-10 rookie seasons of all-time, passed over for Chicago's Caleb Williams.

MLFootball ranked Nix as the league's 20th-overall starting quarterback, below the likes of Carolina's Bryce Young, Arizona's Kyler Murray, and New England's Drake Maye.

ESPN projected Nix to throw for less yards and touchdowns in his sophomore year, despite a wholly improved supporting cast.

To which Mile High Huddle says: Let them hate.