Broncos QB Bo Nix Tagged With Noteworthy Label Ahead of 2nd Season

The Denver Broncos are confident that they have their quarterback position settled with 2024 first-round pick Bo Nix.

Selected with the No. 12 overall pick in his draft class, Nix was the last of six QBs selected in Round 1 last year. Regardless of the ones they missed out on a chance to land, the Broncos were high on Nix before the draft. Moreover, he has bolstered their faith.

Broncos general manager George Paton even bestowed a lofty title upon the young passer.

Broncos GM: Bo Nix a ‘Franchise QB’

“We like our roster. We like the depth of this roster. I think you could see that depth throughout the preseason, and we extended leads with our second and third phase,” Paton told reporters on August 28, when asked to evaluate the Broncos’ roster. “How talented this roster is, we’ll see. And I think last year we were [projected as] the 31st roster in the league, and we didn’t believe that. And we do think we have a strong roster, and, obviously, that’s day to day, that’s week to week.

“We feel we’re strong in the trenches. Obviously, we feel like we have a franchise quarterback. We like the weapons we have on offense, and we play really good defense, and that’s a recipe to win a lot of games. So we feel good about this roster.”

Nix set numerous Broncos rookie records, passing for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during the 2024 regular season.

The Broncos are optimistic about Nix taking a step forward this coming season.

Drew Brees Expects Bo Nix, Sean Payton Partnership to Work Well

In addition to the NFL’s reigning sack-leader as a unit on defense, the Broncos bolstered his supporting cast around Nix. They added tight end Evan Engram and running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey to take pressure off top wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

But the most encouraging aspect for the Broncos may be that Nix is in Year 2 with head coach Sean Payton. Payton’s conviction on the history-making QB is why Denver selected him.

Payton’s former QB with the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees, confirmed as much.

“When Sean Payton told me, ‘Hey, I really wanted Bo Nix next to or above all these other guys, I believe that. And it just happened to be that Bo fell to being the sixth quarterback taken, even though that was the 12th pick, which is a really, really high pick. And Sean Payton, sitting there going, ‘Well, I can make an argument that he was the best of the bunch,’” Brees told Rich Eisen on “The Rich Eisen Show” on August 27. “Bottom line is, I think Shawn Peyton got his guy, and I think we’re going to see that play out.

Nix led the Broncos to 10 wins and a playoff berth. No other Broncos QB had done that since Peyton Manning in 2015. Nix faces the challenge of opposing defensive coordinators having a year of film on him. Still, he is poised to take a significant step forward for the Broncos in 2025.