For Broncos Country, Bo Nix’s return has been a day the fanbase has been yearning for. It was a tough watch to see him end his season on a broken ankle in a Divisional Round victory. Seven months later, he returned to the field in week two of the preseason. How did he fare?
Everything that fans wanted to see in Nix’s return came to fruition. First and foremost, the ankle injury did not seem to linger. In his first dropback, he evaded pressure to find Sutton near the sideline.
The third-year quarterback went 6/9 for 76 yards in two drives. The most encouraging sign was that Nix’s two best throws came on third down. The first came early in his first drive, when he threw a 35-yard pass down the middle of the field to Jaylen Waddle.
Nix to Waddle is a connection that Broncos Country hopes to see all year long. The second came just outside the red zone, where Nix threw a nice pass towards the outside to RJ Harvey on a wheel route. It was a perfect way to cap off the first drive coming back from an injury.
In addition to the nice throws, Nix looked comfortable in the pocket. He didn’t take a sack and avoided putting himself in harm’s way. Overall, it was a more than solid performance all around, and he looks ready to go for the regular season.
What should the fanbase expect from Nix’s return? The main priority should be consistency. That was an element of his game that he struggled with in year two, especially. The numbers suggest it as well.
In 2024, Nix threw for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and had a passer rating of 93.3. The numbers dipped a little bit the next year as he had just 25 touchdowns with an 87.7 passer rating. The main cause for the dip was the inconsistency in the first three quarters.
17 of Nix’s 25 touchdowns came when Denver was trailing. That means he only had eight when the team was tied or leading. That’s a big reason why the Broncos had to win a record-setting 12 one-score games last year.
For this upcoming year, Nix must play more sound football early so the late-game heroics are not needed. The clutch gene should only show up when needed and not become a lifestyle. We will see if offensive coordinator Davis Webb’s play-calling can help that cause.
Can Nix leap to being a top 10 QB?
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Overall, it was nice to see Nix’s return pan out as well as it did. Had he played poorly, it wouldn’t have been a big deal because it’s just preseason, as everyone is rusty this time of year.
The fact that Nix played well, though, is encouraging, and he made it look easy. He didn’t have to make any crazy plays with his legs or extend plays due to the pocket breaking down. Two of his biggest throws, as mentioned above, were with him standing in a clean pocket and letting his playmakers do the job.
That should be the motto for Nix all year long. This is by far the best roster he has around him in his short career so far. It would not be the worst thing for him to do less at times.
The Broncos are going to need Nix to be in top game shape given his first six games of the season. They include the Kansas City Chiefs and then five teams that made the postseason last year.
In previous years, Nix has struggled in the opening quarters of seasons. This year, it seems like he cannot afford that. That’s why it’s nice to see him look comfortable immediately.
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