The Denver Broncos made Bo Nix the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the sixth signal-caller taken off the board in a historically deep QB class, but the pick was a source of controversy in draft circles. Nix spent six years in college and was something of a late bloomer, despite his significant experience. Folks wondered if he was really up to the task of being a franchise quarterback.
Flash forward to 2025, and Nix enters his second NFL season with a dramatically different set of expectations. He was an absolute stud for the Broncos out of the gate, completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns. Denver won 10 games and made the playoffs, while Nix finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind the historically great Jayden Daniels.
All those concerns of "can Nix run a pro scheme" or "does he have NFL arm talent" are out the door. He has set the bar high as a result, with Denver fans expecting not only a postseason berth, but a deep run is a highly competitive AFC landscape. Even so, the way Denver is talking about Nix in OTAs makes it feel like he's still an over-performing rookie.
Broncos are still treating Bo Nix like a rookie in his second NFL season
"It’s a lot different (this summer)," Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters (h/t DNVR). "We don’t use that term, ‘Pick up where we left off,’ but just the processing [and] understanding of what we’re doing in and out of the huddle. These three days—as you’re watching each decision, (the throws are) where you want the ball to go. I think it’s entirely different."
Nix seems to agree.
"I feel like I’m a lot further (along),” Nix said. “Just spitting out play calls a lot easier and just processing. Being around ‘VJ’ (Vance Joseph) for a year and understanding the defense that I’m going to get.”
This is all good and well, but the framing is a bit odd. Nix is coming off a dominant rookie season. He was, again, a six-year starter in college football, splitting time between two high-profile programs at Auburn and Oregon. This dude has proven be belongs more than once already. There was doubt last season, sure, but Nix quickly put it to bed. All that experience paid off. He's mobile, he has a pro-level arm, and he thinks the game much quicker than your average rookie.
It's only natural for Nix to look better in his second round of OTAs. This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Nix is looking to cement his place among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, not to win the starting job from Jarrett Stidham. All that is in the past. Unless he meaningfully regresses as an NFL sophomore, Nix will put up efficient numbers and win a bunch of games, because that's what he is supposed to do.
Nix is clearly a smart, dutiful quarterback who understands the assignment every time he steps on the field. He's a pro's pro and a true rising star. We can start treating him like one, instead of reacting with shock and awe when he's makes the right throw in practice after a full calendar year in charge of the offense.