Payday for the San Francisco 49ers quarterback sets the bar for franchise quarterback salaries. This is likely to influence the Denver Broncos’ plans for Bo Nix.

It is not known where Bo Nix was or what he was doing when Brock Purdy’s new monster contract made headlines and push notifications on Friday.

But you can be pretty sure that the Denver Broncos quarterback was pretty happy when he saw the numbers in the contract. The San Francisco 49ers’ signal caller’s new contract is likely to set the standard for what a franchise QB is worth in the NFL for years to come.

Purdy, who was selected as “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2022 draft at 262nd overall, will receive $265 million over the next five years, $165 million of which is guaranteed.

So what will a new contract be worth for Nix, who was drafted 12th overall by the Broncos in 2024?

Broncos believe in Bo Nix as franchise QB

Especially since those in charge in Denver are convinced that, after years of searching, they have finally found their franchise quarterback. And they have been searching for quite some time in the “Mile High City,” with the exception of the three successful years with Peyton Manning from 2012 to 2015, actually since John Elway’s retirement in 1998.

There is already speculation that Nix could earn up to $60 million per season. However, this potential payday is still a long way off, and Nix will have to prove that he can build on his performances from his first, extremely promising season.

Nevertheless, the Colorado franchise is already planning to sign Nix to a long-term contract and pay him well when his rookie contract expires.

Nix’s rookie contract opens a window for playoff runs

Currently, the young quarterback is still playing for a modest $4.65 million a year, which is a huge advantage for the Broncos. Compared to the 49ers, they are saving around $45 million in cap space per season on the quarterback position, which can be invested in other parts of the team.

If Nix continues to play strongly and takes another step forward in his second season, this could open a window for deep playoff runs. At the same time, however, the contracts of the other players must be structured in such a way that the Broncos will still have a good team when Nix’s payday weighs on the cap space in the medium term.

Brock Purdy proved what is possible in this constellation in his second season when he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. If Bo Nix achieves something similar in the next two or three years, his new contract will also set new standards.