Broncos’ Veteran Playmaker Sends Strong Message to Bo Nix After Loss

Bo Nix leads all rookie quarterbacks in passing attempts and completions entering Week 10. He ranks second in the group in passing yards. Nix is also second among the three rookies with at least 100 passing attempts in completion percentage.

The Denver Broncos rookie also boasts the second-best record in the group.

At one point early in the season, Nix was the Broncos’ leading rusher. He has also done a good job protecting the football with two interceptions from Weeks 3 through 9.

Nix’s play and budding connection with No. 1 wide receiver Courtland Sutton drew a strong message from the latter. It was in reaction to Nix’s touchdown reception from Sutton in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9.

“You are HIM,” Sutton posted on Instagram on November 5.

The play marked the first touchdown reception for Nix and the first TD pass for Sutton, who has been a big believer in Nix since the latter was drafted in April.

Courtland Sutton a Big Bo Nix Supporter

“I was excited to see that we were going to be able to work with him,” Sutton said on the “DNVR Broncos Podcast” in June. “He does a lot of things really, really well on the field. And I’m looking forward to being able to get out and work with him just because he has that leader mentality, that aura that he carries, that he walks with.

“Just based off the things that I’ve seen when he was at Oregon, being able to watch him go out there and carry and lead his team, and seeing how those guys were following him. I think it showed a lot about the type of person he is and the way he carries himself.”

Sutton was also on the receiving end of Nix’s first TD pass, which he also commemorated.

“1st of many,” Sutton said in the caption of a still shot featuring the duo after the score on his Instagram story on September 29.

“It was cool to be able to share that moment with Bo,” Sutton told NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo on September 29. “That’s his first of many. The guy’s going to be a really good player for a long time in this league. And to be able to have a piece of history with him, it’s really cool to be able to have that with him.

“I caught the touchdown and the first thing I wanted to do, I wanted to give him the ball. I wanted to make sure that ball didn’t disappear somewhere. And I’m glad that he was able to get that and we were able to get the win.”

Courtland Sutton Embracing Role as Vocal Leader for Broncos

Now in his seventh season, Sutton put the contact issues of the offseason behind him. He has continued to embrace his role as a leader of the team.

“One thing I told the guys, I was like, ‘Man, when we were kids, man, we would have begged to be able to go outside and play football in the rain.’ So it was a cool experience,” Sutton said after the Broncos beat the New York Jets in Week 4. “Happy to watch the guys go out there and ball out and us be able to come away with a win.”

Sutton has one more season on his contract.

He reworked his four-year, $60 million contract into a two-year, $27.5 million deal to end his offseason holdout. But Sutton has a $20 million cap hit in 2025. He and the Broncos could be in a similar position after the season.