Who would have thought that the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos would have such a casual, unwritten rivalry in the off season of 2024. When Sean Payton came out in the 2024 offseason and said he was involved in spreading rumors that the Broncos intended to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft (perhaps for JJ McCarthy), Vikings supporters reacted with some defensiveness. Although it was never true, Vikings supporters were angered by the idea that Sean Payton was making fun of them for selecting McCarthy.

Payton wanted Bo Nix, that much was clear. He wanted the media to write that the Broncos were making a lot of effort to advance in order to acquire their player, and a lot of people clearly fell for that hook. The Vikings attempted, but were unable, to trade up for Drake Maye.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has reported that McCarthy will remain the Vikings’ backup quarterback indefinitely.

The Vikings think there is a lot of talent and unrealized potential here. This is the best supporting cast he’s ever had. They therefore think that, if all goes according to plan, he can not only start games but possibly excel in them. Therefore, they believe that sitting J.J. McCarthy through an unknown number of games—whether it’s a whole season or not—will help him master a high-volume passing scheme behind the scenes, if only temporarily.

Sam Darnold cost the Vikings $10 million, so it would make sense to give him the season as the starter and evaluate his abilities. However, the Denver Broncos and Broncos supporters should be even more pleased with the Bo Nix selection given that this is being published before the team even practices.

Nix hasn’t been declared the Broncos’ official starter to begin the season, but the reviews coming out of OTAs have been almost entirely favorable. Sean Payton, the head coach, has stated repeatedly that Nix has resembled the player they fell in love with throughout the pre-draft process. According to recent comments made by offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Nix doesn’t appear to be a rookie.

It should go without saying that Bo Nix is older than JJ McCarthy. He’s spent a lot more time working on this. He’s had far more chances to move forward and fail. McCarthy’s future is by no means in ruins, but given the circumstances surrounding the Broncos right now, it appears that the organization was lucky to choose Nix with the 12th overall choice.