Quarterback Bo Nix silenced those who criticized the Denver Broncos for making him the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft when he guided the club to a record of 10-7 and a playoff berth.
While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Nix revealed that an unnamed teammate has helped keep him humble following an impressive rookie season.
“I have a buddy on the team, and we tell each other, ‘You’re still a nobody, you haven’t done anything yet. You’ve got a lot to prove and a lot to go out there and do,'” Nix explained, The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider shared. “It’s people like that who keep you in check. Those are teammates that have your back and continue to motivate you. I haven’t done anything up to this point and have a lot to prove and a lot to show.”
Nix saying he hasn’t yet “done anything” as an NFL quarterback isn’t entirely accurate, considering he finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year Award voting. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended this past regular season ranked sixth in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes and 12th with 3,775 passing yards.
A February report detailed how Nix was spending a portion of the offseason making tweaks to his mechanics “to improve the generation and transfer of power in the torso while focusing on the movements that help the shoulder move more efficiently.” One reason he was able to focus on those aspects of his game is that he didn’t have to worry about learning a new offense while working under head coach Sean Payton.
“It’s kind of weird going into the first install and it’s not new verbiage,” Nix added during his comments. “So that made it a lot easier this year. Just being in a system where you can get right back to where you were and be able to call plays and understanding what it’s like. To be able to go longer than 365 days hearing the same thing, I think it’s going to be really beneficial. It felt weird because it hasn’t been like that since high school. … It’s hard to explain, and you’re going to see it in ways you can’t even understand.”
As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2025 Broncos at -115 odds to make the playoffs with Nix leading the charge. If he takes a big leap over the next handful of months, Denver could make things interesting in the AFC West race, which many assume has already been won by the Kansas City Chiefs.
