Jake Plummer spoke with the Broncos and Bourbon podcast recently about how the Broncos have been doing... And the thing that jumps right out at us is Jake's insistence that the leaders on the Broncos need to step up. Bo Nix is taking the brunt of the criticism recently and he needs his teammates to step up. It's not a one-man team, for goodness sake. 

Jake points out that top players, especially highly paid ones, should step up and not just perform but also motivate those around them. Leadership isn’t just about talking; it’s about making key plays when the time comes, so that calls for action aren’t ignored. Jake is waiting for someone to take charge, set the tone, and create a team dynamic where it’s not just about one player, but a collective effort to succeed.

And isn't that a great metaphor for life too? 

Here's the key quote: 

I’m waiting to see who the leaders on this time are. The best players — that we’ve been told are the best players — so far have underperformed. I won’t say names, I won’t talk about that — they know who they are — who are you? If you’re making a bunch of money in this league, if you’re being paid — one of the highest-paid players on the Broncos, then step up! And start stepping up and demanding that everyone around you steps up, and then when you get a chance to make a play, you make that play. Therefore, your voice of saying, ‘Step up’ is not going unheard.

And there’s multiple guys on this team that can do it. I’m waiting to see who that is, so there’s a reason other than Bo Nix to turn the TV on and watch the Broncos. Or to go to a game and go, ‘Man, these guys got some vibrations going, these guys have some players. I’m waiting to see so-and-so and so-and-so because they’re making plays.’ Like, who are you? When are you going to step up? When are we going to have some other players step up it’s not all ‘Bo Nix, Bo Nix, Bo Nix, we’re 0-2, Bo Nix.’ No! Bo’s doing the best he can. The rest of these guys, they need to step up.

—Jake Plummer, quoted in USA Today, speaking to Phil Milani on the Broncos and Bourbon podcast

Watch the whole interview here: