{"id":332797,"date":"2025-09-01T09:35:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T09:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/332797\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T09:35:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T09:35:18","slug":"bo-nixs-quest-to-make-year-2-leap-raise-broncos-to-nfls-elite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/332797\/","title":{"rendered":"Bo Nix’s quest to make Year 2 leap, raise Broncos to NFL’s elite"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bo Nix<\/a> can see the future.<\/p>\n

He can feel a moment months ahead through his fingertips.<\/p>\n

Or in the way his feet shuffle and settle.<\/p>\n

Or the way his hips flip to the exact angle his brain intuited.<\/p>\n

In the Alabama summer swelter or under the baking Colorado sun, Nix can be transported from a solo training session to an all-eyes, nationally televised moment deep in the year.<\/p>\n

A crisp autumn Sunday at Empower Field or a frigid Christmas night in Kansas City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe call it \u2018creating future memories,\u2019\u201d Ben Neill, a longtime Nix quarterback trainer, told The Denver Post recently. \u201cLike, when you\u2019re training and you\u2019re on the field and you make this great play and you move and you rip it in there and you just kind of flash in your head, \u2018Man, that\u2019s going to happen in a game this year.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Nix created many actual memories during a historic rookie season as the Broncos\u2019 quarterback.<\/p>\n

He won the starting quarterback job for coach Sean Payton<\/a> and almost just as quickly won over the locker room with a combination of confidence, authenticity and playmaking.<\/p>\n

He started all 17 regular-season games, generated 34 touchdowns and helped lead Denver to its first postseason appearance<\/a> in nearly a decade.<\/p>\n

Along the way, Nix became a beacon of hope for Broncos fans who have seen a revolving door at the position since Peyton Manning<\/a> retired. He became the pupil who will make or muddy the second act of Payton\u2019s career and, eventually, his Hall of Fame candidacy.<\/p>\n

He became the most recognizable ingredient in a mix of many that put Denver on the map as a contender this fall.<\/p>\n

Now the expectations are massive.<\/p>\n

So, how did Nix set about preparing to raise both himself and his team to the next level? To elevate himself into the rarefied air Payton thinks he can reach, and also back up his coach\u2019s ardent belief in this team as a Super Bowl contender?<\/p>\n

By doing less.<\/p>\n

By slowing down, at least in pockets.<\/p>\n

By trusting a process he\u2019s never actually followed before, at least not quite like this.<\/p>\n

By betting that a move or two he mastered in the thick, southern summer will help Denver when the NFL herd starts getting thinned in December and January.<\/p>\n

Nix took what he\u2019s come to believe about himself \u2014 that he doesn\u2019t have to be anything other than himself to catch everything he\u2019s after \u2014 and put it to work for the first time in a true NFL offseason. He channeled confidence and doubt, familiarity and new methods, laser focus on the moment and a broader sense of where he\u2019s headed and came out of the most unique offseason of his career to date ready to take the Broncos to new heights in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this kind of almost in-between mindset of that genuine confidence that, \u2018I can play and I can compete,’\u201d Neill said. \u201cBut at the same time, \u2018I\u2019ve got a lot of improvement to do and a lot of getting better to do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BoBo Nix (10) of the Denver Broncos rushes for a gain against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter of the Bills\u2019 31-7 AFC divisional playoff win at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)
\nA unique offseason<\/p>\n

For all but one team each year, the NFL season ends with blunt force.<\/p>\n

One day you\u2019re playing, the next you\u2019re cleaning out your locker.<\/p>\n

Nix, who had a minor ankle procedure after Denver\u2019s Wild Card loss to Buffalo and thus was around the team\u2019s facility, had trouble downshifting after playing in 20 games \u2014 two preseason, 17 regular season and the 31-7 playoff loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first couple weeks, you could tell he was still itching,\u201d Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb told The Post. \u201cI was like, \u2018No, no, buddy. It\u2019s done.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cNow it\u2019s time to debrief. You need to go to Aspen or Vail for a weekend and then go somewhere else. Get away.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the underrated factors for NFL rookies is the long road they travel before they ever get to playing in a game. Nix\u2019s senior year at Oregon began in August 2023 and didn\u2019t end until January 2024. Then he went straight into draft prep and training for the NFL combine. Meetings, pro day, private workouts. Zoom calls and Payton\u2019s all-nighter quarterback test. Two weeks after the draft, he was at rookie minicamp, beginning the race to try to digest a playbook and win the starting job.<\/p>\n

After that came 20 games, transverse process fractures in his back, an ankle injury and the accumulating wear and tear of what amounted to an 18-month sprint.<\/p>\n

Nix knew he needed the recovery time. He also, though, knows himself well. He\u2019s wired to always work. Always throw. Always do a little bit more.<\/p>\n

He headed himself off at the pass by putting a plan in place well in advance.<\/p>\n

When Nix first got drafted, Webb gave him an extensive guide to the NFL that included offseason schedules used by his old teammates and pupils like Patrick Mahomes<\/a>, Josh Allen<\/a>, Baker Mayfield<\/a> and Eli Manning<\/a>. Webb then reiterated those ideas in a 3-page postseason to-do list for Nix.<\/p>\n

The No. 1 thing: \u201cThis is your first big boy offseason,\u201d Webb said. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to throw 10,000 throws in February and March.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nix took some of the advice and then molded it into a schedule tailored to his liking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted a good foundation, good ideas, and then I wanted to make it my own,\u201d Nix told The Post. \u201cDo things that I\u2019ve been comfortable with in the past, but understand I\u2019m also new to the NFL, new to the offseason, new to the schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to see what other guys had done, what other guys had found success with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nix anticipated that he\u2019d want to push the envelope quickly, but could also feel that he needed the change in pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was difficult at the beginning because what I\u2019ve always done is just thrown,\u201d he said. \u201cBut as I got into it, I felt better, my body felt better, I felt myself getting stronger without throwing. So I just trusted the process and understanding that a lot of other guys around the league use the same process. So seeing that it\u2019s been done before, I didn\u2019t have to press or wonder if I was doing something that I wasn\u2019t supposed to be doing or overworking.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur nature, sometimes you can overwork and you\u2019re not really getting any better. You\u2019re just spinning your tires. For me, it was trusting the guys around me, trusting my plan that I had put in place already, and don\u2019t make any decision out of emotion because of what I want now.\u201d<\/p>\n

So often, what Nix wants in the moment is to feel like he\u2019s doing enough.<\/p>\n

Sprints. Throws. Playbook study. Nutrition optimization. Leading. Opponent scout. Self-scout. Weights. Film. An NFL quarterback has a broad constellation of disciplines to master before ever thinking about marketing, community involvement or any of the countless other endeavors that fill up a calendar.<\/p>\n

None of it can ever be truly conquered. There is always another tendency to sniff out, another set of shoulder strengthening to do, another spin through the rolodex of play calls, checks and signals lurking.<\/p>\n

They loom constantly, especially in the relative quiet of the offseason, as reminders that failure could be right around the corner.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I think it\u2019s more of the fear of not being ready, not being enough for the team,\u201d Nix said earlier this offseason. \u201cThat\u2019s what continues to drive me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neill calls it \u201cthe burden of being hyper-competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a common two-way street for high-level performers, but Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey says Nix\u2019s ability to navigate the traffic stands out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to be able to control that to where it\u2019s not a detriment to you because your greatest strength sometimes, if you\u2019re undisciplined, can become your greatest weakness,\u201d McGlinchey said. \u201cBut Bo has handled that line so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BoBo Nix (10) of the Denver Broncos looks for Courtland Sutton (14) during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)
\nProcess and processing<\/p>\n

Nix throwing less this summer shouldn\u2019t be confused with stasis.<\/p>\n

Instead, he continued refining his knowledge of Payton\u2019s playbook. He linked up with former Saints QB Drew Brees<\/a>, the foremost expert on quarterbacking for Payton, to talk shop and life as the face of a franchise.<\/p>\n

The time he spent with Neill at QB Country in Alabama over the course of the offseason zeroed in on the mental side of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about seeing the field and how the field is made up of individual players who have individual assignments and zones,\u201d Neill said. \u201cBut as you get used to seeing certain defenses, you can kind of start seeing the big picture of the defense instead of seeing individual players. That\u2019s an area of improvement that he feels like he\u2019s growing in and made but wants to keep going. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cMentally, he knows the stuff, he knows the offense, he knows the defenses, and he knows how to put the pieces together. It\u2019s just a matter of seeing the big picture so you can see it faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s been the book on Nix so far through training camp and the preseason.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t show up with overhauled mechanics or a big weight change or more horsepower on his fastball.<\/p>\n

Instead, the change is about tempo. It\u2019s about feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn and out of the huddle, you can see how good it is compared to what we\u2019ve had,\u201d general manager George Paton<\/a> told The Post this summer. \u201cHe was good last year with it, but just accelerating those things will be huge for his growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s mastering that, and he\u2019ll grow and build off that. It\u2019ll be fun to see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nix, though, still ventures too far into perfectionist mode sometimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got to fix some of his self-talk. That\u2019s part of my deal with him,\u201d Webb said. \u201cBut yeah, he cares, and that\u2019s awesome. You\u2019d rather have it that way than the other way. Everyone struggles with that at some point; all athletes do, whether it be self-talk or being too hard on yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Webb tells Nix frequently, \u201cI\u2019m not going to be thinking about this when I go to bed, so you shouldn\u2019t, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

The paradox: That trait isn\u2019t far removed from one that those who know Nix best say makes him special. One of his true superpowers.<\/p>\n

Once Nix does something, feels something, makes a correction on something, he\u2019s got it locked away. Period.<\/p>\n

So one play, he might be cursing himself out for a mistake, but then the next might generate a future memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can dial it in and put it in his library for later,\u201d Webb said. \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it enough to where there\u2019s a cue or a word with that play that he can quickly come back to it, good or bad. The bad ones are fun because that never leaves your brain, but that can be in a good way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou already lived the worst, so you\u2019re ready for the next.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"HeadHead coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos runs as Bo Nix (10) prepares to make a handoff during training camp at Broncos Park in Centennial on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)
\nThe leap<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Nix?<\/p>\n

Payton sees his quarterback\u2019s trajectory arcing toward the stratosphere.<\/p>\n

He had no qualms telling Yahoo Sports he thinks the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 draft will be in the \u201ctop four or five\u201d among NFL quarterbacks in the next two seasons.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are four quarterbacks in the AFC alone who are on Hall of Fame tracks in Mahomes, Allen, Baltimore\u2019s Lamar Jackson<\/a> and Cincinnati\u2019s Joe Burrow<\/a>. That\u2019s before defending Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts<\/a> in Philadelphia and Washington\u2019s rookie of the year Jayden Daniels<\/a>, Los Angeles Chargers stalwart Justin Herbert<\/a> and any number of other talented signal-callers.<\/p>\n

Asked to defend that ground recently, Payton pointed to Nix\u2019s preparation and work ethic and said, \u201cThere\u2019s not one specific thing. I think he\u2019s wiser to red zone, wiser to third down, the cadence. There are some nuances that, when you get real comfortable \u2014 maybe in Year 1, your snap count is this, and then pretty soon it\u2019s more of a weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cA number of things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neill sees the possibility, too. He said the first time he worked out with Nix years ago, the thought crossed his mind that this could be an all-time great player. There are countless factors that can break in countless directions, but one worth hanging the future of a franchise on.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if you had to nail it on one thing that gives Bo the ability and probably gives Sean Payton the confidence that he\u2019ll improve in all of those things, it\u2019s his mentality,\u201d Neill said. \u201c\u2026 He takes it that seriously and he works that hard. He has that Tom Brady mindset. I can see Bo eating avocado ice cream one day.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not going to do anything that would jeopardize the success that he wants to have, and he\u2019s going to not leave any stone unturned. If he thinks something can give him a competitive edge, he\u2019s going to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now the question is how fast that translates on the field.<\/p>\n

Webb\u2019s theory: For most quarterbacks, the biggest difference between Year 1 and Year 2 is consistency.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Year 3, in my opinion, is more of a player jump,\u201d Webb said. \u201cThat\u2019s just my experience personally and with my friends. Everybody talks about Year 2, but I think that\u2019s just the world rushing like we do with everything. We have seen Year 2 jumps, but Rich Gannon\u2019s was at 36 (years old). So everyone\u2019s different. It depends on the situation you\u2019re in, the village you\u2019re around, the play-caller, your defense playing good, your o-line\u2019s protecting you, guys are catching it and you\u2019re executing. There\u2019s a lot of domino effect there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think (Nix) is doing good for his Year 2 development, and then next year will be another set of teaching that we\u2019re not going to worry about right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Webb is big on \u201cthe village.\u201d He thinks far too much is made about the quarterback himself. But he\u2019s been around a lot of franchise-carriers, too. He knows what it looks like.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe great ones are consistently good every year,\u201d Webb said. \u201cSo this is Bo\u2019s first opportunity to go back-to-back and grow. His first year, it was great for his first year. But there\u2019s still some things he can work on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BoBo Nix (10) of the Denver Broncos talks to RJ Harvey (37) of the Denver Broncos before facing the San Francisco 49ers defense during the first quarter at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

Nix has a lot going for him.<\/p>\n

A good village. Terrific defense. Veteran offensive line. Stability in the coaching ranks.<\/p>\n

Not every young quarterback has it so nice. Two of Nix\u2019s fellow 2024 first-rounders, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams in Chicago and No. 3 pick Drake Maye in New England, are already on their second head coaches. No. 8 pick Michael Penix, Jr. in Atlanta only started the final three games of last year, and No. 10 pick J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota missed his whole rookie year due to injury.<\/p>\n

Nix, like 2024 No. 2 overall pick Daniels in Washington, leads a team that had no idea exactly what to expect a year ago and now finds itself getting Super Bowl buzz.<\/p>\n

Village or not, that comes with remarkable pressure.<\/p>\n

The Broncos\u2019 rookie quarterback window is open.<\/p>\n

The roster is stacked.<\/p>\n

The conference is, too, but teams don\u2019t get long runways in this league.<\/p>\n

\"BoBo Nix (10) of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after the fourth quarter of the Broncos\u2019 30-9 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

Can Nix take his game to the next level?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot ahead,\u201d Nix said. \u201cA lot to learn from. A lot to transition to. I\u2019m just excited. It\u2019s a great opportunity, and I\u2019m really excited about where I\u2019m at right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Year 2 will be a lot of learning again, but it will be a lot more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bo Nix can see the future. He can feel a moment months ahead through his fingertips. Or in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332798,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2062],"tags":[1842,925,232,1036,564,5695,231,258,2426,833,13189,3724,7,1331,1272,492,734,1577,895,929,926,88,6,499,8083,1813,9,3189],"class_list":{"0":"post-332797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-denver-broncos","8":"tag-baker-mayfield","9":"tag-bo-nix","10":"tag-broncos","11":"tag-caleb-williams","12":"tag-colorado","13":"tag-colorado-news","14":"tag-denver","15":"tag-denver-broncos","16":"tag-denverbroncos","17":"tag-drake-maye","18":"tag-drew-brees","19":"tag-eli-manning","20":"tag-football","21":"tag-front-range","22":"tag-george-paton","23":"tag-jalen-hurts","24":"tag-jayden-daniels","25":"tag-joe-burrow","26":"tag-lamar-jackson","27":"tag-latest-headlines","28":"tag-more-broncos-news","29":"tag-news","30":"tag-nfl","31":"tag-patrick-mahomes","32":"tag-peyton-manning","33":"tag-sean-payton","34":"tag-sports","35":"tag-the-denver-post"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115128364451329843","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/332798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}