Bo Nix’s case for Offensive Rookie of the Year just keeps getting better.
The Broncos starting quarterback was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance in Denver’s 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week.
“Many great players have won the award in the past, so it’s an honor to be included, but there’s a lot of work left to be done,” Nix said.
Nix, the first rookie quarterback in team history to receive the honor, delivered his best performance of the season, completing 28 of 33 passes (84.8%) for 307 yards and four touchdowns. He is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to record 300 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and complete 80 percent of his throws in a game.
He also finished with a passer rating of 145.0 — the second-highest passer rating by a rookie in a game while attempting at least 30 passes.
Nix’s latest accolade comes after he was named the league’s rookie of the week, following his 215-yard and two-touchdown performance in Week 10’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. For the Broncos, his recent accomplishments are a reminder of how far he has come and how much room he has to grow.
“I would need to find a good thesaurus to describe how excited I am for him,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “… It brings me joy to be on this journey with him. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
The former Oregon standout is the first Bronco to receive AFC Offensive Player of the Week accolades since wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in 2022 and the first Denver quarterback since Trevor Siemian in 2016.
From a numbers standpoint, Nix — the 12th overall pick last April — has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league since Week 5. He has the fifth-most passing yards (1,615) and touchdown passes (13) during this span.
Nix’s performance has been night-and-day compared to the early weeks of the season. He completed 83 of 138 pass attempts for 660 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions from Week 1 to 4. Nix even had a passer rating of 62.5 during that time.
For Nix, one of the biggest reasons for his improvement is having a greater understanding of the offense.
“When I know what we’re doing, it slows the defense down a little bit, and I can get the ball where it needs to go,” Nix said.
Said head coach Sean Payton: “I’m proud of where he’s at. The best part is he is very grounded (and) team driven.”
His midseason surge has helped the Broncos be in the middle of the AFC playoff race. He has also generated praise from former Broncos quarterback John Elway.
“He’s going to keep getting better and better,” Elway said on the Adam Schefter Podcast, but added that he hasn’t met or spoken with the 24-year-old.
In 1983, Elway became the first Denver rookie to start at quarterback during the opening weekend of the season. 41 years later, Nix accomplished that feat.
Nix called Elway “a legend.” He added itap an honor for his name to be spoken by a Hall of Famer.
“Like most guys, they would love to have a chat with John Elway and pick his brain,” Nix said. “Guys like that just have a lot of knowledge that they can share.”
Sutton could’ve talked about Nix for hours on Wednesday. He believes that Nix has the potential to have a long and successful career because his teammate is not complacent.
“He’s understanding that he’s having success, but keeps going,” Sutton said. “The record books are going to be hit pretty hard by him. The way that he’s attacking the games, and his preparation, he’s gonna continue to ascend.”
