Broncos HC Reveals QB Bo Nix Met With Drew Brees During Offseason

Nix also spent time in the Broncos’ facility with Tom House, a former MLB pitcher and coach who also works with NFL quarterbacks, including Brees.

Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints throws a pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Brees will be on the cover of the EA Sports Madden NFL 2011 video game. Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix met with legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees this offseason.

Nix has often been compared to Brees. During a press conference after the first day of Broncos training camp, head coach Sean Payton said he spent several weeks with Brees, trying to learn more about the quarterback position. Payton also said he met with legendary throwing guru Tom House.

During the press conference, a reporter asked Payton about the “marriage” between him and Nix. Payton rejected the premise of the question, saying that the idea of a quarterback-coach “marriage” really only applies to a head coach who has an offensive background and calls his own plays. He also said that narratives about a player being a perfect fit for a coach discredits the player, but fits with how the media ranked that player and provides an easy explanation for his success.

Payton then talked about Nix specifically.

“He’s someone that works his tail off, wants to improve,” he said of the second-year quarterback. “He’s gone and visited Brees for four or five days, and [had] Tom House in here. And there’s a lot that he wants to absorb in a fast period of time. And that’s a great thing for a young player like that, and we’re never just going to pick up from where we left off but there’s a lot of building to do when we look at last year, and a lot of positive things to look at.”

Payton added that Nix went to visit Brees at his home in San Diego, trying to glean information about Payton’s offense. Payton was not sure when he did that; Denver Gazette Broncos beat reporter Chris Tomasson reported that it happened sometime in late April or early May.

“It was him doing more research at the position,” Payton said.

If ever there were a quarterback more qualified to give insight into Payton’s offense, it would be Brees. Selected by the San Diego Chargers with the 32nd overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Brees spent his first five seasons in San Diego. In the 2005 regular season finale against Denver, Brees suffered a torn labrum and rotator cuff damage while trying to recover his own fumble. The Chargers let him go in free agency due to his injury, and he signed with the New Orleans Saints, who had just hired Payton as their head coach.

Brees spent 15 seasons as starting quarterback for Payton and the Saints; he was the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, leading the Saints to a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was named to 12 Pro Bowls, 5 All-Pros, and won 2 NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards. He had 7 seasons as the NFL leader in passing yards, the NFL record; and 5 seasons with at least 5,000 passing yards, also a league record. He tied the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single game with 7; he has the single-season record for completion percentage (74.4 percent, set in 2018); and most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54).

He also owns more than a dozen Saints franchise records, including career passing yards (68,010) and touchdowns (491), passing attempts (8,742) and completions (6,017); and single-season records in passing yards (5,476 in 2011—an NFL record until Peyton Manning threw for 5,477 yards in 2013), touchdown passes (46); attempts (673) and completions (471).

Brees and Payton both retired in 2021 and went into broadcasting; Payton came out of retirement to become the Broncos’ head coach in 2023.

Payton also revealed that Nix has worked with legendary throwing guru Tom House at the Broncos’ facility. A pitcher in Major League Baseball for eight seasons, House is famous for catching Hank Aaron’s record-setting home run on the fly in the Atlanta Braves dugout in April 1974. After he retired from baseball, House became a pitching coach, famously coaching Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan, among others. He also works with quarterbacks, including Brees, Tom Brady, Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, and others. He and Brees are neighbors in California.

Payton said that House was working with Nix on warm-up techniques and ways to care for his throwing arm; nothing House teaches Nix will be observable.

Payton praised House’s track record, and said it was “fascinating” to talk to him.

“He’s a baseball guy that’s really done a great job with a lot of throwers—and that’s the best way to describe them, whether it’s a baseball motion or a football motion,” he said. “Those opportunities we get to just have a lunch or sit and visit are pretty special for me. He’s pretty sharp.”

He also praised Nix for taking the initiative.

“All of that is just stuff he’s doing on his own,” said Payton. “That’s what you’re looking for.”