NFL.com Reveals What Broncos Country Should be Most Thankful For

Denver Broncos fans do have much to be thankful for this holiday season, but Bo Nix tops the list.

Nov 24, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) greets fans after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving week. The Broncos currently hold the No. 7 seed at 7-5 and have a decent lead over the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals.

There is still work to be done, but the odds keep increasing that Denver will snap its eight-year postseason skid. Broncos Country can also be thankful for the combination of the Walton-Penner group, the wealthiest ownership in the NFL, combined with the offensive mind and impressive coaching of Sean Payton, who has quickly and decidedly turned the culture around in Denver.

In the NFL, though, it's more about players than plays. With that comes what Broncos Country is most likely thankful for this season: finally having an answer at quarterback in Bo Nix.

After years of searching for a long-term quarterback solution, at the very least, Denver has a serviceable starter on a cost-controlled rookie contract. If Nix can keep up this style of play, he'll be a bargain for the foreseeable future.

NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha agrees that while Broncos Country has much to be thankful for right now, it starts and stops with the former Oregon Duck at quarterback.  

"This could just as easily be defensive coordinator Vance Joseph because of what he’s done with that unit, but Nix has to be the guy here. He was the least-lauded quarterback selected in the first round of this year’s draft, and it felt like a reach when the Broncos took him 12th overall. Nix is playing so well these days -- he’s thrown 16 touchdown passes and only two interceptions over the past 10 games -- that he’s chasing down Washington’s Jayden Daniels for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Broncos, more importantly, are 7-3 during that stretch. This was supposed to be the season when Denver head coach Sean Payton paid a heavy price for releasing Russell Wilson and forcing the team to swallow $39 million of Wilson’s salary. It looks like they have a nice option under center after all," Chadiha wrote.  

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The Broncos weren't just forced to swallow Wilson’s salary, but due to the specifics of the contract, they're forced to play with a $53 million dead cap hit this season from the release (and $32 million in 2025). The sunk cost hurts Denver’s ability to build around Nix, but given the surplus value on his contract over the next four seasons, the Broncos and Payton have ample time to build not only a playoff-caliber team around their quarterback but potentially one that could contend for the Lombardi Trophy.

Nix may be one of the older quarterbacks drafted, with a historic 61 games started in college. While the only way to answer the questions about his potential ceiling can only be answered by the passage of time and games in the league, he has thoroughly outplayed expectations this season and continues to improve.

Nix's arm and athleticism appear to be more of an advantage than most believed they saw coming out of Oregon, and his ability to avoid sacks and protect the football while not playing a simple dink-and-dunk offense cannot be overstated.

The AFC is a conference littered with superstar quarterbacks. To paraphrase Payton, it may be a bit early to start measuring the rookie quarterback for a gold jacket, but Nix’s play provides plenty of reason for optimism in Broncos Country and something for the fanbase to be thankful for this holiday season.

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