Ex-Broncos quarterback meets Bo Nix, calls him ready to start as a rookie | NFL Insider

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix already has available mentors in former Broncos star quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning.

Now another notable former Denver quarterback is willing to join the group.

Jake Plummer, who played for the Broncos from 2003-06, introduced himself to Nix at Wednesday’s practice at Broncos Park. That was the day Nix was officially announced as Denver’s starter for the Sept. 8 opener at Seattle.

“I just walked up and said hi," Plummer told The Denver Gazette. “I introduced myself and said, ‘Hey, I’ll be around, congrats and have a great year.’ … I’ve always kept in touch with the quarterbacks when they’ve come through (Denver). Not at the level as some of these guys. But I’m here if you ever need somebody to ask a question to.”

Plummer, who played in the NFL from 1997-2006, made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and led the Broncos to the AFC championship game that season. He now lives in Boulder and has attended two Denver practices since the start of training camp.

As for Nix being named to start immediately for the Broncos, Plummer is all for it.

“He’s 24, so he’s coming in at a not-so-usual rookie age,’’ Plummer said of Nix, who won’t play in Sunday’s preseason finale against Arizona at Empower Field at Mile High. “So he’s got a little bit more maturity and understanding. He’s pretty focused. … So, yeah, throw him in the fire, that’s what I think. This team needs a boost, and this kid has a lot of fire and confidence. I think he’s going to come in and do well.”

Plummer knows first-hand about the decision a coach faces on whether to immediately start a rookie quarterback. In 1997, he was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the NFL draft after leading Arizona State to the Rose Bowl the previous season.

Plummer was a hometown hero and fans were clamoring for him to start. But he sat on the bench behind Kent Graham and Stoney Case to start the season before coach Vince Tobin moved him into the lineup in the ninth game for the remainder of the season. His first start came in a 41-14 home loss to the Tennessee Oilers.

“Good Lord, no,’’ Plummer said of whether he would have been ready in 1997 to start the opener. “I was swimming in that system.”

Plummer said football is much different now than it was when he was coming out of college due to young quarterbacks having had private coaches, going to passing academies and seven-on-seven camps.

“If I were coming out right now, I would be more prepared (for the NFL), like these kids are now,’’ Plummer said.

Plummer was so popular in the Phoenix area when he joined the Cardinals that he heard cheers even during his rough first NFL start.

“I threw four interceptions against the Oilers and they were cheering me every time I came back back out on the field,’’ said Plummer, who rebounded as a rookie to finish with 2,203 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. “I might have been benched and done if I was in New York.”

Nix, taken with the No. 12 pick in the April draft out of Oregon, became immediately popular in Denver. For that reason, Plummer said it would have been difficult if Nix, who battled Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the job, wasn’t initially chosen as the starter.

“As soon as that other guy who is starting has a bad quarter, the fans would start chanting, ‘We want Bo,'" Plummer said.

Plummer knows how that feels from both sides. While he was the people’s choice to start as a rookie, in his final NFL season of 2006 he was replaced in the lineup in Denver’s 12th game by rookie Jay Cutler, who had been the No. 11 pick in the draft.

“I ran the gamut," Plummer said with a laugh.

Could Shanahan's HOF wait drag on?

If former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan isn’t elected to the Pro Football of Fame next year, his quest could end up being delayed multiple years.

The Hall of Fame has changed some voting rules, the most notable being that coaches now must be retired for one year, rather than the previous five, to be eligible for induction. The legendary Bill Belichick is not coaching after leaving New England following last season, meaning he now could be eligible for the Hall as soon as the class of 2026.

Belichick won’t be eligible for the class of 2025 because when a coach finalist from a committee is chosen in October, he won’t then have been retired for one year. If Belichick still isn’t coaching in 2025, he would figure to be a slam dunk for induction in 2026. That could delay a Shanahan enshrinement if he is not selected for the class of 2025.

Also, what if Kansas City’s Andy Reid retires after this season? He then would become eligible for the class of 2027, which could continue to delay an enshrinement for Shanahan, who was Denver's coach from 1995-2008 and last coached in the NFL for Washington in 2013.

But Shanahan remains a strong candidate for the class of 2025. Hall of Fame selector Jarrett Bell said “his credentials speak for themselves.” But Bell doesn’t deny his enshrinement could be delayed for multiple years if not chosen in 2025. Other strong coaching candidates eligible now are Mike Holmgren and Tom Coughlin.

Shanahan perhaps got a boost for the class of 2025 when the Hall of Fame also decided to divide the coach/contributor category into two different categories. While there was previously one finalist named for all those candidates, there now will be one coach finalist and one contributor finalist chosen by different committees. So Shanahan won’t be competing with Patriots owner Robert Kraft for one spot.

However, for finalists not in the modern-era category, it now will be more difficult to be elected by the 50-person Hall of Fame general committee. That’s because there now will be a pool of three senior finalists, one coach finalist and one contributor finalist, but a maximum of three of those five will be elected for those who get 80% of the vote on a yes-no ballot. Previously, three senior candidates and one coach/contributor candidate all could get in if receiving 80% on a vote.

What I’m hearing

—From Broncos receiver Cedric Tillman has put aside his Broncos’ gear. Well, at least some of it. Tillman played for Denver from 1992-94, catching 57 passes for 859 yards. But in 2023 his son, receiver Cedric Tillman, joined Cleveland as the No. 74 pick in the third round.

“He still has his Broncos stuff, I’m not going to lie, but I’m definitely seeing him wearing more Browns stuff,’’ said the son.

The Broncos had a chance to draft Tillman but instead took receiver Marvin Mims at No. 63 in the second round.

“It would have been cool (to be drafted by Denver), but I was stoked to go to any team that wanted me,’’ said Tillman, who caught 21 passes as a Browns rookie.

—Although his two former teams are playing, Plummer won’t attend Sunday’s preseason finale.

“I can’t stand the preseason,’’ said Plummer, who played for the Cardinals from 1997-2002 before finishing his career with the Broncos. “I hate it. That was the worst time of the year (when he played). The only good thing was at halftime (with the Cardinals), I could go eat a hot dog. But Mike Shanahan (with the Broncos) made us come out (and play) to start the second half because he wanted us to get used to coming out after halftime.”

What I’m thinking

—One pass might have saved Russell Wilson’s bid to be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback in the Sept. 8 opener at Atlanta. In Saturday’s preseason finale at Detroit, Wilson started and his first pass to George Pickens lost six yards. But Wilson then rifled the ball downfield to Pickens on third-and-11 for a 32-yard gain, leading to a 31-year touchdown run by Cordarelle Patterson. That was the only series played by the former Broncos quarterback, who went 2 of 2 for 26 yards. Will it be enough to stave off Justin Fields, who went 3 of 4 for 40 yards and led the Steelers to a touchdown in three possessions?

—Unfortunately for the Broncos, it doesn’t look good for them to make the Super Bowl this season. In their history, they've made it to eight Super Bowls but never one in a season of a U.S. presidential election. Their appearances came in the seasons of 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013 and 2015.

What I’m seeing

—Don’t be surprised if the Broncos on Sunday look to showcase running back Samaje Perine with the possibility of trading him by Tuesday, when the roster must be cut down to 53 players. Perine is in a tough battle to make the team, and the Broncos would save $3 million on the salary cap if they release him. But if they plan to dump Perine, perhaps they could end up getting a late-round round draft pick for him.

—Several Broncos players have spoken about the boisterous personality of Malcolm Roach, with fellow defensive lineman Zach Allen going so far as to call him the “class clown.” Roach, though, insists he’s a different guy off the field.

“On the field, I’m pretty loud,’’ he said. “Off the field, I’m pretty chilled. On the field, you get a different side of me. I’m talking a lot.”