Now that Nix is fixed, isn’t it time for the Broncos to engage in a little Quid Pro Bo?

“Probably. Probably,” former Broncos quarterback Hugh Millen told me over the phone a few days ago when I mentioned Bo Nix. “I’m going to throw Latin at you: Finis coronat opus. OK? (It means), ‘The end crowns the work.’

“Now, I’m not trying to be hoity-toity with a Latin phrase, but I kind of like them, because they’re little snippets of wisdom. And if our ancestors were thinking that 2,500 years ago, that tells me that it’s probably part of the human experience. People have been rushing to judgment for 2,500 years and they want to make decisions like (saying), ‘That’s going to be a lousy statue.’ Well, let’s watch. Let him finish the statue. And then we’ll judge it.”

The Broncos (6-2) will wrap up the front nine of what’s already been a remarkable season — given the schedule, the play-calling duties, and the injuries — on Sunday in Charlotte, against another of coach Sean Payton’s old NFC South pals, the 3-4 Carolina Panthers. What’s that? Oh. Right. Sorry. That’s the “First-place 3-4 Panthers,” to you, good sir, making this a battle of division leaders, only the way Dodgers ($339 million payroll) versus Guardians ($74.5) is a “battle” of division leaders.

Speaking of the Panthers, former Carolina quarterback Baker Mayfield, now slinging it (sometimes) for the Bucs, got a three-year, $165-million contract extension earlier this season. That means, in terms of average annual value, Mayfield makes the same bucks — $55 million on average — as Josh Alen ($55 million), Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, and Matt Stafford.

You know how a massive contract for a good-but-not-great player sort of blows up the market for everybody else? Well, thanks to our buddy Baker, Broncos Country best buckle up.

Nix’s rookie contract with the Broncos, which pays No. 10 a cap-friendly $5.08 million this season and $5.9 million in 2027, expires after next season and includes a fifth-year club option for 2028. The Broncos have until the end of this regular season, Nix’s third, until May 2027 to declare whether they’re exercrising that fifth-year option or declining it. OverTheCap.com estimates that Nix’s fifth-year salary would be worth $29.9 million and be fully guaranteed.

Because of that Mayfield extension, Nix’s reps have to be dreaming of a money pit so deep that Scrooge McDuck could do a crawl stroke through the middle of it.

Just call up Baker’s numbers and stack them up next to Bo’s:

• Mayfield since 2024: 39 regular-season games, 70 passing TDs, 29 picks, 66.9% completion rate, 8.872 yards, 97.2 passer rating, six regular-season fourth-quarter comebacks, 20-19 team regular-season record as a starter.

• Nix since  2024: 42 regular-season games, 63 passing TDs, 26 picks, 63.9% completion rate, 9,199 yards, 89.3 passer rating, 12 regular-season fourth-quarter comebacks, 30-12 team regular-season record as a starter.

In five of those eight categories, Bo grades out better. So if Baker is worth $55 million per year, just in sheer market value, isn’t Nix now worth closer to $56-58 million annually? If not more? Especially if Dak Prescott is worth $60 million and Patrick Mahomes, whom you just went toe-to-toe with, is making $64 million?

“Yeah, I believe so,” ex-Broncos QB Jake Plummer told me Friday, on his way to his old stomping grounds at Arizona State for the CU-Sun Devils tilt this weekend. “And the reason why is, you look in the stands and the number No. 10 jerseys around, you look at his impact, the kind of kid he is, what he’s already done for that organization, and just his rookie contract alone. (Nix) is going to garner that because he deserves it, and he’s been showing us that he deserves it.

“That’s the game. Money’s going to get paid, especially if you’re winning games. If you win games, you deserve to get paid. And whatever Bo gets paid, he’s probably getting underpaid.”

The counterargument: Nix’s “clutch” gene is a thing, sure, but his success might also be a byproduct of fortunate circumstances. Namely, that he’s a.) playing for Sean Payton, one of the best offensive coaches of the 21st century; and b.) he’s got one of the defenses in football repeatedly shutting the door, early and late, until the moment in each game when Clark Kent changes into Super Bo.

“The only thing is, when you start living by making a comeback at the end of the second half all the time, you saw Kansas City do that a couple of years ago,” Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon told me earlier this week. “And then last year, it didn’t work as well. So I don’t know how much you can just rely on coming from behind every time, especially in the playoffs, when, say, your defense gives up more than a couple of (scores), and now you’re down 14 points in the fourth quarter against a really good football team. Are you going to be able to come back and do it?”

It’s a fair point. Although Nix and the Broncos did trail a pretty good Chiefs bunch by 11, 24-13, with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter last Sunday, only to score 15 unanswered and pull one out. The Broncos are 7-7 since the ’24 season when the opposition scores 24 points or more, but Nix, after last Sunday, has now won six of his last nine (6-3) when he has to score 25 points or more to snatch a victory.

“I know ($55 million) is a lot for a guy that’s highest rated in the fourth quarter, but overall, he’s not that highly as rated,” Moon continued. “So I’m sure (Broncos management) is going to look at all that. Because when you pay a guy that type of money, now you’ve got to start getting rid of some of those guys on that defensive side of the ball that make you what you are.”

For example, the Broncos have to figure out whether they can afford to extend cornerback Riley Moss, slot back Ja’Quan McMillian, or both. Evan Engram, Brandon Jones, Marvin Mims, Ben Powers, Moss and McMillian are all slated to become unrestricted free agents after this season. And trade-target dreams such as Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Titans running back Tony Pollard have 2026 cap numbers of $16.2 million and $9.26 million, respectively.

“I mean, if you think you’re in a Super Bowl window …” Millen stressed. “Let’s see how the team develops around (Nix). I’ll tell you this: It’s hard to find franchise QBs that can win you a Super Bowl. I haven’t seen enough evidence to conclude that he can’t. My urgency wouldn’t be around thinking about Bo Nix’s replacement. My urgency would be, ‘Hey, get better around Bo Nix.’”

Finis coronat opus, baby. But know this, too: If you’re going to crown Nix’s backside, that price, like this season, is only going in one direction. And that’s up.

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