Bo Nix and the NFL
By Xavier Chavez
Bo Nix, coming off a monster season at the University of Oregon, made massive improvements throughout his time at the collegiate level. He hoped to hear his name called during the first round of the NFL Draft.
NFL scouts and media pundits were quite harsh on the Heisman hopeful; citing his older age, his struggles during his time at Auburn, lack of arm strength and the easy offensive system at Oregon. There was concern that his play-style would not translate over to the professional level.
With draft rumors quiet about Nix leading up to the day of the draft, it was extremely questionable whether he would be drafted in the first round. The first round picks are expected to be a franchise’s savior, whether in a few years' time or instantly.
Then, the time had come. The NFL Draft had started.
Players began hearing their names get called up to the stage with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, many of whom played the same position as Nix.
First pick, Caleb Williams, quarterback out of the University of Southern California (USC). Analysts slotted him as the potential number one pick even before the 2023 college football season started due to his athletic potential and high-powered offenses. The Chicago Bears decided to make him the face of their franchise after nabbing the first overall pick through a trade with the Carolina Panthers during the last draft cycle.
Second pick was Jayden Daniels, a quarterback from Louisiana State University (LSU). Many others also expected this decision due to his Heisman-winning season and speed to attack the defense as a runner. The Washington Commanders had a disastrous 2023 season, finishing with a 4-13 record and lacking a long-term answer at quarterback, as Sam Howell threw 21 interceptions in his lone season as the starter.
In fact, three more quarterbacks went in the first 10 picks of the draft. It is an extremely rare occurrence to have that many quarterbacks go off the board in the first round, let alone in that many selections.
Drake Maye was the third QB taken at number three overall, this time from the University of North Carolina. Praised for his arm strength and wild plays, the New England Patriots decided to take a chance after their previous highly selected draft pick during the 2021 draft (#15 overall), QB Mac Jones was at the end of his contract and had regressed each season since his playoff appearance as a rookie.
Next up at the eighth overall selection was the cross-state-lines rival of Nix at the University of Washington, Michael Penix Jr. Penix had been selected by the Atlanta Falcons despite signing Pro-Bowler Kirk Cousins to a new four-year deal a couple of months prior. It was a move that puzzled fans and analysts alike, but Penix’s effortless deep throws and touch were enough for Falcons general manager, Terry Fontenot,q2 to grab him.
The Minnesota Vikings had traded up from pick 11 to pick 10 with a QB hole on their team and it was possible Nix could come off the draft board at this spot. However, they decided to choose Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, coming off a National Championship win over Washington. His winning record of 27-1 as a starter while at Ann Arbor is certainly impressive, paired with a good overall set of tools, making the risk of giving up picks worth it for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for their future starter.
The league was not yet done.
Denver came in at pick 12 and selected the Oregon product, which rounded out the total quarterbacks going in the first round with six. Almost immediately, many critics were eager to call the pick a reach and one that the Broncos would regret in just a few years.
Over the years, Nix has heard never-ending criticisms, yet he still pulls through in the end to silence the doubters with wins and record-breaking seasons.
His rookie season in the NFL became just another example of the critics eating their words.
Nix shined in his rookie year creating a new franchise rookie record of 29 passing touchdowns (second most by a rookie in league history), setting the highest completion percentage in a single game for a rookie with a 89.7% versus the Chiefs in week 18 and leading the Broncos to a playoff berth for the first time in nearly ten years with a 10-7 record.
Nix’s stats include 3,775 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the year through the air. He also compiled 430 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.
Despite the 31-7 wildcard playoff loss to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to end the season, the season was still a massive success.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws the game winning 6 yard touchdown pass to Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) against the Chiefs on Christmas night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday, December 25, 2025.
Before the year started, the Broncos were only projected to win about five games according to Vegas sports odds. Helped by a defense that was led by the eventual 2024 defensive player of the year, Patrick Surtain II, Denver looked to have one of the brightest futures of any team in the league, led by a new star quarterback.
Now entering 2025, with a couple of major signings on the defensive side of the ball, bringing in talents Talanoa Hufanga at safety and linebacker Dre Greenlaw from the 49ers, Denver’s defense looks scary. On offense, nothing much has changed as many play-makers were still on their rookie contracts looking to make improvements such as fellow Oregon teammate of Nix, Troy Franklin, and third-year wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.
Somehow, Nix is still doubted heading into year two, most notably by Fox Sports talking-head Nick Wright. Wright is a biased Kansas City Chiefs fan who has never given Nix his flowers and predicted before the season that the Broncos would finish last in their division with a 7-10 record. Furthermore, he believed that the Chiefs would come out with a victory in week eleven and that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would outplay Nix despite the Broncos coming into the match-up with a seven-game win streak.
Neither of those predictions came true for the Kansas City native and he had to face the music the next day with co-host Chris Broussard. Nix outgained Mahomes in passing yards, did not throw an interception (unlike Mahomes) and came through with a clutch win in the final seconds thanks to the leg of kicker Wil Lutz.
The clutch factor of Nix and the Broncos team as a whole cannot be understated either. They have had an 11-2 record in one-possession games this year, which makes for extremely stressful but entertaining matchups, no matter the opponent.
As the 2025 NFL regular season has concluded, Nix’s stats were extremely similar to his rookie campaign with 3,931 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and 11 picks. Additionally Nix had rushed for 356 yards and five touchdowns.
Not only was the 2025 season another success for Nix and the Broncos, they sat atop the AFC with the clinching of the #1 seed with a record of 14-3. Earning a bye week and home-field advantage, Denver can realistically reach a Super Bowl for the first time in a decade.
Seeing how Nix has played throughout his career so far, there is no other quarterback Denver fans would like to see leading this team to a Super Bowl. His resilience, poised demeanor and ability to win games give unrivaled hope to supporters that he will lead the Broncos to a victory.
Unfortunately, disaster struck on Jan. 17, 2026 in a 33-30 divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills, when head coach Sean Payton announced a surprise ankle injury for Nix that will leave him out for the rest of the playoffs.
Despite this crushing news, there is no doubt that Nix and the Broncos will be back in the playoffs competing for years to come.