Exclusive: Ex-Pro Bowl QB Jake Plummer talks Broncos, Klint Kubiak and The Cold Tub

The Broncos made the AFC Championship Game this past season, but coach Sean Payton wasn’t satisfied.

He saw room for improvement offensively, and shook things up by firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to promote quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to the role.

Webb is seen as a rising coach in NFL circles, even garnering head coaching interviews this offseason, and former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer is ecstatic Denver held onto him to further aid in the development of Bo Nix.

"Bo Nix was unproven, and everyone doubted whether he would be able to do this at the next level," Plummer told Casino Guru in an exclusive interview. "You can’t help but think some of that comes from coaching. He feels comfortable, No. 1. Your quarterbacks coach is someone you need to feel really comfortable with. Having someone there you can be vulnerable with and someone you can trust, that’s shown through on the field with how Bo has responded and played.

"Davis has been a steady presence for him in that quarterback room. I’m sure coach Payton comes in once in a while, but mostly it’s Davis Webb as the communicator. He obviously has a great relationship with Bo."

Plummer said remaining in the same system for multiple years is crucial for a young quarterback. Payton announced at the NFL Scouting Combine that Webb would call plays for the Broncos this season.

"Having played the position himself in college and in the pros for a little bit, he understands the whole process," Plummer said. "Keeping him was one of the best moves they could make, and it keeps things consistent for Bo.

"Bo is the most important part of the team. With his progression so far, you need to take care of him, A1, number one. Make sure he’s comfortable and has coaches he trusts and can work with. So keeping Davis Webb as the OC, I think it’s a great move. We will obviously wait to see how that goes down, but no learning curve with a new coach or a new offense, or a new teaching style. It’s all the same now for Bo, which as a quarterback, you love that consistency."

While Webb could leave at some point, Plummer thought he made the right decision to stay put in a favorable situation alongside Payton and Nix.

"He can go become a head coach or an OC somewhere else, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to have immediate success," Plummer said. "With the turnover of coaches always moving to greener pastures, sometimes the pasture you’re in is the one you need to stay in. They paid him more, and it shows the commitment that this organization is making towards Bo as the future."

Plummer on the next steps for Bo Nix

Nix is 24-10 through his first two seasons with the Broncos, which includes eight fourth-quarter comebacks and 12 game-winning drives.

Plummer loves that the young signal-caller has played his best at critical moments.

"Bo has the clutch gene," Plummer said. "You can’t coach that. Coach Payton has no recipe for that. Coach Payton isn’t a good coach at all when it comes to a clutch gene, because there is no coach that can coach that. That comes from the player. That comes from the DNA inside Bo. Certain guys just have it."

As for the next steps in his career arc, Plummer says he would like to see Nix stay in the pocket longer, go through his progressions and throw with more anticipation.

"What Davis can do in helping Bo progress is understanding the offense, and I think putting in more advanced progressions and concepts, where Bo can stand in the pocket, come off ‘1’and anticipate where ‘2’ is going to be, then let that ball go," Plummer said. "He can throw the ball anywhere, any way, and he’s very accurate when his feet are set and when his feet are not set.

"Multiple times this year we saw him (hesitate) and then go to the same guy. Then it’s not as good of a play. It’s batted down, or it’s just a reception instead of a catch and turn, those big plays we were lacking. That, I think, is really the thing I would love to see him advance on. That’s what I would be working on if I was him.

"Otherwise, the kid’s clutch. He scrambles, is smart with the ball. He’s way smarter with the ball than I ever was, even in Year 2. There is not much he needs to improve upon, other than getting the ball out on time and even anticipating more."

Plummer: Broncos must add offensive weapons

The Broncos averaged 25.0 points per game last season, which was 10th in the NFL, but Plummer thinks more can be accomplished.

He wants to see Denver aggressively target a skill player who invites physicality and can win after the catch.

"They’re going to add some weapons to the offense," Plummer said. "They have to. Your No. 1 (receiver) can’t catch a ball and go down on a knee in the middle of the field without getting hit. Your No. 1 needs to catch it and say, ‘Alright, which one of you mother f------ wants to get thrown to the ground and get made look like a fool?’ We need that.

"That’s what will help Bo, too, having one or two of those guys. Like, ‘OK, I got the handoff and it’s not there, but look what I can do.’ That’s what I’m hoping we go get. How do you do that? You trust your scouts and your coaches to go get this guy. He fits our system. That’s where hopefully Davis will have some say, and Bo."

Plummer: ‘I love Klint’ Kubiak

Plummer went 39-15 with one Pro Bowl nod and three playoff appearances during his four-year stint with the Broncos from 2003-2006.

It was a major turnaround after Plummer began his career 30-52 with the Arizona Cardinals.

Plummer gives a lot of credit to then-Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak for maximizing his skill-set, and believes Gary’s son, Klint, has the same coaching makeup.

Klint is taking over as coach of the Raiders after winning a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator of the Seahawks last month.

"Gary was one of my favorite coaches." Plummer said. "He gave me the chance to retire after 10 years, because I was like, ‘Yeah, I showed y’all I could play at this level.’ Gary was a huge part of that. He knew my skill-set and he helped me. I see a lot of that in Klint and the offense that he’s using and morphing. He’s approaching it like, ‘What does Sam Darnold do well?’ Let’s put weapons around him so his job gets easier."

Klint Kubiak will now transition to working with presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas.

Plummer said he’s known Klint since he was a teenager, when he would hang around the Broncos alongside Gary.

"I love Klint," Plummer said. "Klint was a senior in high school when I first got to the Broncos. He was around and would make team flights sometimes. He was a great kid. I think all of his brothers are coaching. Not just him. They all followed Dad. Klint went to (Colorado State) and he picked up handball because of me. I’ve kept in touch with him here and there. He was quality control with the Broncos, so when I’d go to the building, I’d see him and say what’s up. It’s great to see him rise up that fast."

Plummer said the transition from offensive coordinator to head coach is a big one, and he hopes Klint is a natural fit. Plummer likes that Klint can lean on Gary, who was the head coach of both the Broncos and Texans, when he has questions about the role.

"I hope he’s suited for the head coaching position, because that’s not OC," Plummer said. "Being the OC, you’re focused on the offense. As head coach, you’ve got to be No. 3 in the organization. It’s the owners, the quarterback, and then you. You’ve got to be right there. But I think he’ll do well.

"Kyle Shanahan has done well, and it’s not a secret that he has his dad (Mike) helping him, or at least ready to answer the phone if Kyle wants to call him. And I’m sure Gary is right there for Klint if he’s got some questions. Like, ‘Hey, Dad, check this out and tell me what we’re not doing right.’ Gary is a phenomenal coach. He played, he coached, he won Super Bowls. There’s a reason (Klint) escalated and moved up so fast. I think it’s a great move."

Plummer Talks Cold Tub

Plummer is giving his opinion on the Broncos regularly these days, as he is co-hosting a show called The Cold Tub alongside former Denver teammate Nate Jackson.

After his playing days, Plummer vowed to never become an analyst, but was eventually pulled back in, and he enjoys giving a player’s perspective since he understands the game on a deeper level.

"If you play as long as we did, 10 years in the NFL, you absorb all that and you basically have a PHD in football," Plummer said. "I said never would I go (be an analyst), but I’ve learned to never say never. When the time came to go do some work with the Pac-10, I tried out and I got a gig doing studio work. I did that for a couple years, and I even did a little bit of play-by-play on the radio. I did that a couple times. That was fun being at Lambeau, doing play-by-play for a game. That was exciting, being close to the game without being in it. But after awhile, it became repetitive.

"It was saying the same things, basically. I tip my hat to the Cris Collinsworths that can go on two or three nights per week and regurgitate the same thing they said 30 years ago. There is really nothing he is saying that is different from what he said 30 years ago. Nothing at all. It’s just a different name, a different number, a different date, a different score and different teams."

Plummer pulled back from the play-by-play niche but says he’s found a home as an analyst who can talk sports along with health and wellness.

Plummer is a big advocate of using functional mushrooms to help in performance recovery, and likes to spread the word about it.

"I’ve always stuck in doing podcasts and trying to explain things deeper than Xs and Os, with more about life," Plummer said. "I’m hoping this will more or less morph into an opportunity to have viewers or subscribers approach health and wellness. There’s a way to transition from just talking Bo Nix, Bo Nix, Bo Nix to talking about the bio-hacking, health and wellness longevity trends."