Broncos QB Bo Nix's Rookie of the Year Buzz Mounting as Season Approaches

Is Bo Nix a bonafide Rooke of the Year candidate now that the Denver Broncos named him the starter?

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

Bo Nix is officially the Week 1 starter for the 2024 Denver Broncos. Selected 12th overall and the sixth quarterback off the board, there was much said about Nix after a record 61 college starts.

Is Nix too old? Is he maxed out? What’s his ceiling? Does he possess enough pure arm talent?

In reality, the only question that mattered to Broncos Country was whether Sean Payton liked and believed the kid could execute his offense at a high level. It’s too early to crown Nix, but he’s answered every question asked so far through training camp and preseason.

As the Broncos’ first Week 1 rookie starter since John Elway all the way back in 1983, those in Denver shift their attention from speculating on when Bo will take over at quarterback to just how far he can take these Broncos. Could Nix even contend for the NFL's Rookie of the Year? According to the oddsmakers, Nix has the fifth-best chance of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

In a recent episode of Move the Sticks podcast with Bucky Brooks and guest host Lance Zierlein,   the pair broke down their preseason ranking of rookies and analyzed the rookie of the year odds. Coming in at No. 5 overall, Nix earned a shoutout.

They likened Nix’s intelligence and ability to operate an offense and execute the quick game, like Mac Jones, who finished second in 2021 Rookie of the Year voting behind Cincinnati receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Hosts Brooks and Zierlein indicated that while Nix may not have the projectable ceiling of some other quarterbacks in the class, like Jones in 2021, he is more day-one ready, which might help him garner Rookie of the Year attention.

Nix is undoubtedly worthy of consideration because, as Brooks and Zierlien state multiple times in the show, the winner will very likely be a quarterback. However, both question whether Nix has enough quality weaponry around him to contend for the award. This is a fair criticism given how the Broncos’ offensive skill positions stack up on paper, currently possessing more questions than answers.

“But the way that it's looking… Sean Payton is going to put the onus on himself to create opportunities for Bo Nix to just manage the game, take the easy completion and kind of get it done that way. If he does that, (the Broncos) have more than enough in terms of their defense to win games. And if Bo Nix is able to kind of guide this team into playoff contention, he's going to get some consideration because everyone is going to fall in love with the story of the rookie player jumping in, getting this team, I would say, off the scrapheap and kind of leading them into contention.

"This dude has some maturity and some poise and some leadership about him that he's going to make you kind of fall in love with him. It's just a matter of will he be productive enough to kind of get into consideration and really steal the award?" They said.

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With Payton designing the offense, it’s a pretty safe bet that Nix will be put in a consistent position to succeed from a schematic perspective. The Broncos may lack depth on the offensive line and not a star-studded assortment of weaponry, but if Denver can blow past its 5.5 win total line set by Vegas, contend for the playoffs, and Nix looks good leading the team, he will certainly be in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

While listed behind wide receivers Malik Nabers of the New York Giants and Marvin Harrison Jr of the Arizona Cardinals as well as quarterbacks Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, Nix has the benefit of playing under the best offensive mind of any rookie quarterback with more experience than any signal-caller in college football history.

Nix continues to defy expectations. Now officially Denver’s starter, Rookie of the Year continues to become more feasible for the first-round quarterback.

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