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After the Denver Broncos were knocked out of the NFL playoffs last month, quarterback Bo Nix was asked about his rookie season and if it went the way he thought it would.
“That’s a great question,” Nix said on Jan. 12. “It was more than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be, in a strange way… You go to a new level and you get to the NFL, and I expected it to be tough, but I was pleased with how at the end of the day it’s just football. They have 11 guys; I have 11 guys. We compete to go get first downs and score points. It’s a new system and you’re learning, but you pick it up quick because we’re all professionals and that’s just kind of what we do. That’s our job.
“I was pleased at the turnover. I was pleased at the transition. I thought everybody that had my back throughout the process did a great job of developing me, getting me ready to go. My teammates accepted me, and it makes it easy for me to jump in and just know my role and play. I know that the big jump from your first year to your second year is huge, and it’s all about if you go back to work with the same mindset. What got me here, I have to continue to do that so I can continue to grow as a player.”
Nix certainly performed like it was “just football,” totaling 4,207 all-purpose yards and scoring 34 touchdowns while leading the team to 10 wins. The moment was not too big for the rookie, who admitted that it was strangely not as much of an adjustment as he expected. As the season progressed, Nix became more and more comfortable.
“I knew that I’d be able to slow it down and just treat it as just football the old-fashioned way, 11-on-11,” Nix said. “We work on offense to move the ball and go score, and they play with 11. They’re either going to come out in man or zone. They’re either going to blitz you, or they’re not.
“When you keep it simple, and you can play fast, play quick, play decisive. It helps a lot. So as it went, I was able to become more and more comfortable, and it allowed me to play well down the stretch.”
Nix will now took to take another step forward in Year 2 when he returns for the 2025 season. Players will report for offseason work later this spring.