Mile High Sports
Expectations will increase for Denver Broncos Bo Nix this season.
Not only because it’s his third year in the NFL; the Broncos added a top-notch weapon in Jaylen Waddle, too.
That pickup, plus the re-signing of J.K. Dobbins, and continuity along the offensive line leaves Nix as the X-factor.
Being a starting quarterback in the NFL brings a lot of hopes and high standards coming out of the gates. That was true of Bo Nix, who might’ve been the sixth QB drafted in 2024, but he was still the 12th overall pick.
In Denver, playing quarterback brings lofty demands from Broncos Country that are even higher than other NFL towns.
We’ve witnessed Hall of Fame QBs like John Elway and Peyton Manning lead the Broncos to Super Bowl wins. And beyond them, some other greats like Jake Plummer and Craig Morton were the team’s signal caller for their own eras.
Nix has the difficult job of pulling Denver’s quarterbacking out of a tailspin. And through two years, he’s done well to do just that.
Some Bo-lievers think he’ll be the franchise quarterback for a decade to come. Others are still not sure if Nix is a franchise quarterback quite yet, despite some incredible comebacks and fantastic fourth quarters. But otherwise inconsistent play leaves some wondering if he’s the guy.
This Year 3 for Nix will likely go a long way in determining if he’s the guy or just another guy in a long list of wannabes since Manning retired in 2016.
That’s because expectations of Nix will be higher than ever this year, just like they will be for his Broncos after going 14-3, winning the AFC West, and earning the No. 1 seed.
Let’s start with Bo, then move to his teammates as to why he’ll be expected to have a breakout 2026 season.
For the Broncos QB, starting both his rookie and sophomore seasons were tough sledding. He struggled early and gained momentum as the season went on.
But, we also saw big ups and downs from him even last year.
This year he’ll need to be more consistent throughout. Sure, passer rating isn’t the most accurate metric for evaluating QBs, but it is an old standby.
And last year Nix had as many 100-rated games (3) as he did below 70-rated games. I’m not here saying he needs to have a perfect passer rating every game. But if he can somehow average 100-passer rating for the season, that’d be a huge improvement.
Nix doesn’t have any reason to continue to struggle to gain first downs and sustain drives. He knows this offense inside and out, and now Davis Webb—who was his quarterbacks coach for two years—is the offensive coordinator. Webb knows what Nix likes and what he doesn’t.
Superstar quarterbacks Josh Allen and Matt Stafford enjoyed breakout third seasons, while others like Lamar Jackson,...
