QB Bo Nix will look to lead the Broncos to an AFC West title and a deep postseason run this upcoming season

Bo Nix is the Broncos franchise quarterback and the face of their franchise.

With their 12th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. This was a controversial pick according to some who believed Nix didn’t deserve to go in the first round, was a “reach”, or just simply was not a good quarterback prospect. The noise was loud, but Sean Payton was confident in his evaluation of Nix, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Payton felt as strongly about Bo Nix as he did Mahomes.

Despite the outside noise, Nix joined the Broncos during the offseason workouts and quickly impressed. He was picking up the playbook quickly, acting more like a veteran than a rookie, and impressing on the field. He would learn from his mistakes, and the growth was noticeable. That carried over into training camp, where Nix was in a three-way competition for the Broncos’ starting quarterback job with veteran Jarrett Stidham and former number two overall pick Zach Wilson. He had his ups and downs in the early parts of camp and the preseason, but quickly proved he was the best quarterback on the roster and was eventually named the starting quarterback for week one.

Things would start slowly for Nix and the Broncos during the season. They would start the year 0-2, and Nix would throw 0 touchdown passes, 4 interceptions, and 1 rushing touchdown during that span. The doubters and naysayers were loud, but that did not stop Nix and the Broncos from turning it around. They would go on to upset the Bucs on the road, beat the Jets in the rain on the road, and then come back to have a signature win over the rival Raiders in their throwback uniforms.

This is when things started to click for Bo Nix. The Broncos’ rookie quarterback would go on to have a historic rookie season from that point forward.

He finished the season with 3,775 yards passing, 29 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, completed 66.3% of his passes, and had a quarterback rating of 93.3. and a QBR of 57.2. He also had 430 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, and 1 reception for 2 yards and 1 touchdown.

His 29 passing touchdowns rank second all-time for a rookie quarterback and only trail Justin Herbert, who had 31 in his rookie season. That is two more than third-place Baker Mayfield, who had 27, three more than Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning, who had 26, and 4 more than Jayden Daniels, who would go on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

On the season, only Joe Burrow(43), Baker Mayfield(41), Lamar Jackson(41), Jared Goff(37), and Sam Darnold(35) had more passing touchdowns than Nix, who had 29. When you break it down by conference, Nix had the 3rd most passing touchdowns in the AFC and had more than Josh Allen(28), Patrick Mahomes(26), and Justin Herbert(23), all of whom are considered the top quarterbacks in the league.

Now, Bo Nix enters year two with the Broncos looking to build on his successful rookie year. Throughout the offseason practices, Nix has looked more comfortable, in command of the huddle, being a leader, and looking good on the practice field. The Broncos also made it a priority to surround him with more weapons this season. They signed veteran tight end Evan Engram, drafted running back R.J. Harvey in the second round, and wide receiver Pat Bryant in the third round, while also seeing significant improvement and development from Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, and Devaughn Vele.

If Nix continues to play like he did in the second half of his rookie year, he and the Broncos could be on the verge of some very big things this upcoming season.

Player Profile

Bo Nix | Quarterback | Broncos

Height: 6-2

Weight: 217 pounds

Age: 25 years old

Experience: 2nd year in the NFL

2024 stats: Started all 17 games and finished with 3,775 yards passing, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, completed 66.3% of his passes, and had a QB rating of 93.3. He also rushed for 430 yards, had 4 rushing touchdowns, and 1 touchdown reception.

Broncos QB Bo Nix’s 2025 Outlook

The expectations for Nix and the Broncos are very high. Broncos Country is full of optimism and is expecting big things from the team and Nix this upcoming season. Nix needs to avoid the sophomore slump, continue to show improvement, and not only make the postseason, but this time, win a postseason game. Anything less would likely be viewed as a disappointment.

So far, Nix has been meeting these expectations. The reports from the OTAs and minicamp indicate that this is fully Bo Nix’s team. He has taken on a larger leadership role, is fully comfortable on the practice field, in complete command of the offense, and everything is simply moving faster than it did last season.

Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton told reporters that Nix has less pause and hesitation in the pocket and that you’re seeing him practice faster with more confidence.

“Less pause, less hesitation with the play call in the huddle. Less pause, less hesitation in the pocket. He’s playing fast, and again protecting the ball. He’s hard to sack. He was hard to sack in college. You’re seeing him practice faster with more confidence.”

Nix told reporters back in May that he feels a lot further along than he did last season, and spitting out play calls and processing everything is just a lot easier for him.

“I feel like I’m a lot further along. Just spitting out play calls a lot easier and just processing. Being around ‘VJ’ (Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) for a year and understanding the defense that I’m going to get. It’s a lot better and a lot more enjoyable not thinking right now as opposed to what I was doing last year. It’s fun, it’s fun to be in the know and it’s fun to have a little more of an understanding of what’s going on so I can be a little more beneficial to others and help them out along the way. I feel good. We’re in a good spot.”

He was reportedly even going at it and chirping with the Broncos’ defense during the practices. Nix being more comfortable and confident heading into training camp is a great sign for the Broncos.

Another reason for the higher expectations is the added weapons around him on offense. The team went out and signed veteran tight end Evan Engram, who will give Nix a playmaker and security blanket in the middle of the field. They also improved their run game by drafting explosive running back R.J. Harvey and signing veteran J.K. Dobbins. On top of that, the Broncos’ returning young wide receivers have been showing signs of improvement and development this offseason. We saw Marvin Mims Jr.’s development in the second half of last season, and his growth, development, and role are only expected to grow this upcoming season. Then you have Devaughn Vele, who was getting rave reviews, and the speedy Troy Franklin, who drew praise from Sean Payton and was noted more for making explosive plays throughout practice. On top of all that, the team drafted Pat Bryant in the third round, and he was making plays with Nix while Vele was sidelined. We didn’t even mention veteran Courtland Sutton and his 18 touchdown receptions the past two seasons.

If all these weapons live up to their expectations and/or have a breakout year, the Broncos offense, led by Bo Nix, could be on the verge of a very exciting 2025 season and potentially an AFC West title.

Final Thoughts

I have high hopes for Bo Nix in year two. I believe the Broncos can be one of the best teams in the league, they can win the AFC West, and Nix could push for 40+ total touchdowns and 4,500+ combined yards.

Those are lofty expectations, but he nearly eclipsed both these marks during his rookie year. Now, he’s fully comfortable and in command of Payton’s offense, the offense has improved around him, and he might have one of the best defenses in the league as well.

The Chiefs’ days at the top of the AFC West are numbered because Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos are coming for them.