Bo Nix has been the catalyst of the Denver Broncos’ rapid turnaround. Since Nix was drafted at No. 12 overall in the first round in 2024, the Broncos have won 24 regular-season games, made the playoffs twice, and won a postseason game for the first time in a decade.
With Nix under center, the Broncos won the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC for just the ninth time in franchise history, advancing to the conference championship for just the 11th time ever.
The Broncos are one of the NFL’s best worst-to-first stories, and Nix has been the impetus. Sadly, his
impressive 2025 season came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end when he suffered a fractured ankle in the Broncos’ 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Broncos would lose the AFC championship game without Nix in the lineup, falling 10-7 to the New England Patriots. The Broncos didn’t advance to the Super Bowl this time, but all of the statistical harbingers are there to expect this team to continue to compete for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy with Nix under center.
What statistics am I talking about? After all, it’s not as if Nix has earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod yet. He didn’t even win the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
And yet, few quarterbacks have been as productive as Nix has thus far. Let’s break down his statistical achievements that portend so well for the Broncos’ future.
Only Nix
Nix became the first quarterback in the history of the NFL to win 20-plus games while passing for 7,500-plus yards and 50-plus touchdowns through his first two seasons. Nobody has ever done that before. That unique achievement belongs solely to Nix.
Only Three QBs
Nix reached 25 passing touchdowns and 3,500-plus yards in each of his first two NFL seasons. He joined Peyton Manning and Justin Herbert as the only two quarterbacks in league history to achieve that feat through their first two years.
Player
Seasons
Peyton Manning
1998-99
Justin Herbert
2020-21
Bo Nix
2024-25
Fourth-Fastest to 5,000
Nix reached the 5,000-yard career passing mark in just his 23rd NFL game. That came in a game across the pond in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the New York Jets.
Nix became the fourth-fastest quarterback to reach the 5,000-yard milestone since 2020.
Proven Winner
Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates after play during the second half against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nix’s 24 wins since the 2024 season are the most by a Broncos’ starting quarterback through his first two years. That 24-win number is also tied for the most by any NFL quarterback through his first two seasons.
Rank
Player
Wins
Losses
Ties
Win%
1
Bo Nix
24
10
0
.706
Russell Wilson
24
8
0
.750
3
Andrew Luck
22
10
0
.688
Dak Prescott
22
10
0
.688
Ben Roethlisberger
22
3
.880
The Comeback Kid
Nix recorded the eighth fourth-quarter comeback of his career in Week 11’s victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. It was his fifth such win of the 2025 season.
Nix’s eight comeback wins is tied for the most by any NFL quarterback since the 2024 season began. It’s also the third-most in Broncos history.
Rank
Player
Team
Games
1
Bo Nix
Denver Broncos
8
Caleb Williams
Chicago Bears
8
3
Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs
6
Baker Mayfield
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6
Jordan Love
Green Bay Packers
6
Aerial Scoring Machine
Nix has already proven himself to be one of the NFL’s best scorers through the air. He is just one of five quarterbacks to post at least 25 passing touchdowns and to rank in the top-10 in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Player
2024 TDs
2025 TDs
Baker Mayfield
41
26
Jared Goff
37
34
Sam Darnold
35
25
Bo Nix
29
25
Josh Allen
28
25
Four-TD Games
In the Broncos’ Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers, Nix notched the fourth game of his career with four passing touchdowns, which is tied for the most by all NFL quarterbacks since the start of the 2024 season.
Nix’s prolific start has historical significance, too, as he’s tied for the third-most games of four-plus passing touchdowns for a quarterback through his first two seasons in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (seven) and Dan Marino (four) had more four-touchdown games through their first two years as a pro.
Rank
Player
4-TD Games
1
Lamar Jackson
6
Matthew Stafford
6
3
Joe Burrow
5
4
Bo Nix
4
Baker Mayfield
4
Sam Darnold
4
7
Aaron Rodgers
3
Jared Goff
3
Jordan Love
3
Hard to Sack
Nix has only been sacked 46 times through two seasons, which is the second-fewest among all NFL quarterbacks. Love in Green Bay has only been sacked 35 times over that span, but he has nearly 400 fewer dropbacks than Nix.
Nix loathes the negative play, which is a big part of what attracted Sean Payton to him in the 2024 draft. It helps keep the Broncos ahead of the sticks.
Leading the 2024 QB Class
Nix was the sixth and final quarterback selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, but he leads all the signal-callers in his class in total wins, passing touchdowns, and total touchdowns. That includes high-profile top-three picks like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye.
Rank
Player
Team
Pass TD
Rush TD
Total TD
1
Bo Nix
Denver
54
9
64
2
Drake Maye
New England
46
6
52
3
Caleb Williams
Chicago
47
3
51
4
Jayden Daniels
Washington
33
8
41
5
J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota
11
4
15
6
Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta
12
2
14
The Takeaway
As we see, Nix is one of the rare quarterbacks of this age whose statistical production corresponds directly to his team’s success in the standings. The Broncos have already achieved so much, and with Nix entering just Year 3, there’s a lot more winning to be done, especially with Payton as his head coach.
Nix’s recovery from ankle surgery will keep him out until early May, but that lines up perfectly with the Broncos’ timetable for the offseason training program.
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