It’s important to point out that no one is trying to say Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is a Top 10 quarterback in the NFL right now. There’s not a rational argument to be made there.
What Nix is, though, is a player who could definitely be in the Top 10 if he makes the equivalent improvement he made over 2024 in 2025. In the latest PFF rankings of all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks, there was a heap of disrespect put on Nix at No. 19 overall that seems to not take that into account.
Of the 18 quarterbacks ahead of Nix, you can make a rational argument he’s already better than at least a half dozen of them. It’s also without question there are 3 quarterbacks you would never, ever want in place of him.
“There are three quarterbacks Nix deserves to be ahead of based on last season: Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa,” The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote on May 24. “Murray and Tua get bumped because of injuries and Lawrence just isn’t that guy anymore. He owns a 2-13 record over his past 15 games with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions … So, no, 19th does not do him justice. Not his rookie season. Or where he is going.”
To recap, Nix started every game as a rookie for the Broncos and led them to a 10-7 record and the franchise’s first playoff berth since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. Nix was also never better than he was down the stretch, throwing for multiple touchdowns in 6 of the last 7 games, including 4 games with 3 or more touchdown passes and a pair of 4-touchdown games in wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs.
Nix Might Already Be Eye-to-Eye With AFC West Duo
Perhaps the biggest slap in the face to Nix was putting him last out of the 4 quarterbacks in the AFC West.
While Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback in the NFL, Nix lost a pair of one score games to the Los Angeles Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert (No. 8) and was also placed behind an aging Geno Smith (No. 10) on the Las Vegas Raiders.
If we don’t let the amount of money they’re being paid cloud our vision, you can also make a good argument Nix is already as good as or better than San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (No. 11), who is coming off a 6-11 season but just signed a 5-year, $265 million contract extension on May 16.
Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, is headed into the second season of a 4-year, $18.6 million contract.
In 2024, Nix finished third in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Washington Commanders Pro Bowl quarterback Jayden Daniels (No. 6) and Raiders NFL All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers.
“Nix had a strong rookie season, though it was somewhat overshadowed by Jayden Daniels’ historic campaign,” PFF’s John Kosko wrote. “If he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, the Broncos could be a serious threat in 2025. After a rocky start, including three sub-50.0 game grades in his first four outings, Nix found his footing, posting an 85.7 overall grade the rest of the way, sixth-best in the league over that span.”
