Broncos QB Bo Nix Named 'Best Rookie' of 2024 Preseason

The early returns on Bo Nix continue to be very positive.

Aug 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) waves to fans after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos first-round quarterback Bo Nix exceeded expectations in preseason play this year. Obviously, the rookie quarterback played a majority of his reps against backups, and the defensive schemes he faced were as vanilla as could be possibly imagined.

After an incredibly efficient display leading Denver on six scoring drives on seven possessions in the preseason, how will Nix's play translate to Week 1 and beyond? That remains to be seen.

With Nix winning the starting job, Broncos Country will not have to wait too long to start to accumulate more meaningful data in an attempt to answer whether he can become the superstar quarterback the franchise so desperately needs. All the fans have to go off of currently are those seven drives in two preseason games.

Nix was not perfect in his limited reps, but perfect is not the bar for a rookie quarterback in a mentally demanding Sean Payton offense. Add all the qualifiers one wants, but Nix did what he was asked in preseason.

Nix was so impressive that multiple football outlets, such as Pro Football Focus, who named Nix as the quarterback on their rookie All-Preseason team, have chosen him as the most impressive rookie quarterback in preseason. No one should hang a banner for those accolades, but also, for a fanbase that has been so devoid of hope for the better part of the past decade, it feels good to be cautiously optimistic again.

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski one-upped PFF's praise of Nix in the two games he appeared in, naming him the top rookie in all of football now that preseason football has concluded.  

"After the dismal era the Broncos have endured at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired, then seeing how well Nix has handled the offense so far, the swing in momentum for the entire franchise shouldn't be underestimated," Sobleski wrote.

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Sobleski also touched on Nix's age (24) and how disappointing it would have been for him not to win the Broncos' starting job. Further, outside of Caleb Williams in Chicago, Nix had the path of least resistance to starting, given the perceived quality of quarterback play on Denver’s roster.

Sobleski points out that many pre-draft questioned Nix as a prospect.

“Some viewed the Oregon product as a limited prospect with a low ceiling, but he’s been everything Denver brass hoped he’d be," Sobleski wrote.

Nix blew the Broncos away in the pre-draft process, both in his private throwing session with Payton and team brass on the field, as well as displaying his intelligence and football acumen when given a Denver playbook to memorize and retain overnight before a meeting the following morning with the club's decision-makers.

Given that Nix was selected 12th overall, and was the sixth and last quarterback drafted until the New Orleans Saints took Spencer Rattler with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round, earning the top rookie player spot from B/R should give fans some level of optimism, even if it's “just preseason football.” Beating out such talents as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye is at least noteworthy for Broncos Country.

The Broncos have been in a state of disrepair as a franchise, starting at quarterback, since Peyton Manning won Super Bowl 50 and promptly retired. However, as Sobleski states, it would be unwise t sleep on Nix and the Broncos at this stage.

There will continue to be questions surrounding Nix's small sample size as folks attempt to overcome preconceived notions about him following his tumultuous time at Auburn and his "system quarterback" branding at Oregon. But with an offensive mastermind like Payton, empowered by landing “his guy” at quarterback, the future in Denver looks as bright as it has in a long time.

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