In a year full of impressive rookie quarterback performances, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos quietly put together a debut season that has Mile High fans dreaming of a bright future. The 24-year-old signal-caller broke franchise rookie records, ended an eight-year playoff drought, and gave the Broncos stability at the game’s most important position for the first time since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season.
Nix, the sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, beat out veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson in training camp to become the first rookie QB to start Week 1 for the Broncos since John Elway in 1983. He never looked back, completing 66.3% of his passes for 3,775 yards and a franchise rookie record 29 touchdowns.
Finding His Footing Under Sean Payton
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for the rookie, as Nix struggled with turnovers early on before finding his rhythm in head coach Sean Payton’s offense. Payton, in his first year with the Broncos, had never started a rookie quarterback in his previous 16 seasons as a head coach. But he was immediately impressed with Nix’s maturity, work ethic, and ability to bounce back from mistakes.
“We all came out of training camp knowing this guy was going to be special…He just showed up tough, smart, and put together. And that’s how he was all season.”
– Broncos tackle Mike McGlinchey on Bo Nix
As the season progressed, Payton made adjustments to better suit Nix’s strengths, incorporating more play-action and designed quarterback runs. The results speak for themselves:
- Weeks 1-9: 10 TD, 9 INT, 52.0 QBR
- Weeks 10-18: 21 TD, 5 INT, 62.0 QBR
Spreading the Ball Around
Another impressive aspect of Nix’s rookie campaign was his ability to involve the entire receiving corps. While Courtland Sutton emerged as his go-to target with a career-high 1,081 yards and 8 touchdowns, Nix completed passes to 10 different Broncos for scores. His 29 passing TDs were the second-most ever by an NFL rookie, trailing only Justin Herbert’s 31 in 2020.
Room For Improvement
Of course, Nix is far from a finished product. His 56.9 QBR ranked just 18th in the NFL, and the Broncos had the third-highest rate of three-and-out drives at 26.3%. Nix particularly struggled on third down and against the blitz, two areas he’ll need to improve to take the next step.
There’s also the matter of navigating the AFC West, arguably the toughest quarterback division in football. The Broncos went 0-6 against the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Derek Carr as a rookie. To become a perennial playoff contender, Nix will have to find a way to outshine his star-studded rivals.
“As a competitor, I want to be urgent, and I want to grow and develop into where I can compete and I’m on the same level as those guys…I’m not [there] right now.”
– Bo Nix on facing the AFC West’s elite quarterbacks
The Future is Bright
Still, it’s hard not to be excited about Nix’s future after such an impressive debut. With a full offseason to master Payton’s scheme and develop chemistry with his receivers, the sky’s the limit for the Broncos’ new franchise quarterback. If Nix can clean up his weaknesses and build off his strengths, Denver may soon have an answer for the Mahomes and Herberts of the world – and a return to Super Bowl contention could follow close behind.
