Peyton Manning says that the Broncos are ‘very interested’ in quarterback J.J. McCarthy

Peyton Manning told Josh Dover and Brandon Stokley that the Denver Broncos are very interested in Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Denver Broncos Hall of Fame and Super Bowl 50-winning quarterback Peyton Manning joined 104.4 The Fan earlier this afternoon and had some interesting things to say. He told Denver Sports Brandon Stokley and Joshua Dover that the Broncos are “very interested” in Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and that he would want to come to Denver.

You can listen to their full interview with Peyton Manning here.

This should not be a shock to people since rumors have connected J.J. McCarthy to the Broncos since the beginning of the draft process. Since then, the National Championship-winning quarterback has elevated his stock from being a mid to late first-round pick to potentially being a top-five selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton likely circled McCarthy as “his guy” because of his ability to process information quickly, make the correct read, and get the ball out quickly. These are all traits Payton has repeatedly mentioned as traits he looks for in a quarterback. Well, McCarthy is that guy and someone the Broncos and Payton appear very interested in.

The problem here is, that the Broncos have the 12th overall selection and are not the only team in the market for a quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings at 11th overall are looking to move up and could be eyeing McCarthy as well as the Patriots at 3rd overall and the Giants at 6th overall. The Broncos may need to attempt to outbid these teams to make sure they can get McCarthy if they do indeed decide to go that route.

McCarthy seems like “Plan A” for the Broncos but if they cannot get him, “Plan B” figures to be Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. He is not as flashy of a prospect as McCarthy, but he too has a lot of traits that Payton looks for. He is known as a quick processor and his skill set that really fits what Payton likes to do on offense. Add in that he thrives as a quick-rhythm passer and you can see why the Broncos could have a good deal of interest in him. Unlike McCarthy, Nix should be available at 12th overall and the Broncos could even trade back a few spots, collect draft picks, and still come away with their guy.

We are just two short days away from the start of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and reports and rumors are only beginning to pick up. We’ll see if Payton and the Broncos trade up for McCarthy or if they trade back and get Bo Nix or do something completely different.