Former Oregon Ducks turned Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is gearing up for his second season, and hoping to avoid the “sophomore slump” in the process. Nix led the Broncos to the playoffs in his rookie year, it was the first time Denver had played a playoff game since their Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers back in 2015.
Nix’s rookie season was held in high regard, with many analysts and pundits agreeing that his trajectory as an NFL quarterback was ahead of schedule in terms of production. Many ESPN analysts have praised Nix, but maybe no praise as great as the praise he received from Get Up host Mike Tannenbaum, who believes Nix is going to take a “leap” next season.
“I’m going jump and, if it was a leap, I would say it’s a leap,” said Tannenbaum on ESPN's Get Up. “He’s going to be massively improved for a number of reasons, First full offseason with Sean Payton. Look for the turnovers to come down. (Rookie running back) RJ Harvey, a second-round pick? You know, outstanding receiver out of the backfield, think Alvin Kamara. And then, Evan Engram. Great pass-receiving tight end. Look for his completion percentage to go up.”
Nix had 36 touchdown involvements in his rookie year, out of the 35, Nix caught one and ran in five. Nix’s praise from Tannenbaum is not unwarranted, Nix finished third in voting for the Offensive Rookie of the Year in his freshman effort.
Nix being the sixth most for touchdowns thrown and completion percentage are his strong marks, with his interceptions thrown being the facet of this game he needs to clean up. Nix will be joined and flanked by two of his favorite targets next season, Broncos receivers Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton.
The “sophomore slump” has been an issue for some quarterbacks that Nix will try to avoid.
Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud infamously dropped off in production after a promising rookie season. Broncos coach Sean Payton will do everything in his power to ensure Nix has a successful Sophomore year. Like Nix, there were questions about Payton coming to the Broncos after so many years out of the NFL. So far, Payton has quelled those worries by taking Denver back to the postseason for the first time in nine years.
Usually, it’s easy to tell when a franchise believes their rookie quarterback is “the guy”. They will surround the quarterback with talent and beef up the offensive line. That’s exactly what Denver did in the 2025 NFL Draft and the offseason. Bronco’s rookie running back RJ Harvey has already impressed Nix. Nix told Jon Heath from the Broncos Wire “He's done a really good job working, he does a good job out of the backfield. It's hard to tell with shorts and a shirt what it’s like running the ball with no pads, but that's obviously why we got him."
