Bo Nix Knows He Needs To Have A Big Year In 2026

The Denver Broncos know they need a big season from quarterback Bo Nix this year, and Nix knows it, too. The end of his rookie contract is in sight now, and Jeff Legwold of ESPN took a deep dive into what this means long-term for both NIx and the Broncos. 

Coach Sean Payton has talked about this season as Nix’s “fourth year,” which is an indirect reference to his contract status as he heads into year #3. The Broncos have surrounded Nix with enough talent to win a championship, and he’s well aware of the pressure he’s facing now. 

"Year 1, I'm trying to just not mess up for the team," Nix said. "I feel like Year 3, I'm trying to make plays for the team. It's just quite the different feeling. It's just a confidence-level thing."

Nix’s teammates know how dependent the Broncos are on the quarterback right now. They all talk about his confidence level, as running back J.K. Dobbins noted. 

"Bo just walks in the room like he's ready for anything," said Dobbines. "And he is. He ain't trying to walk like that, you know what I mean? That's just that thing about him. You're never going to feel you're out of it with Bo. People can say whatever they want about Bo, about this and that, but Bo's our guy. We all know it."

The development issue probably isn’t Payton’s favorite topic, probably because he knows how tough the next jump is. It took him years to make it with quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, and some of those setbacks left a mark. 

"The 'next step' is kind of cliché," Payton said when he was asked about Nix's progression. "He just finished winning 14 games and having a really good season. Do I think he's going to continue to improve? ... I think there are certain areas for us offensively that can help with the quarterback, a consistent run game throughout the year. There are some things that we can do to help him."

Nix has the right attitude about all this, and he’s saying all the right things. But the reality is that no one knows quite how this is going to play out given the myriad possibilities that are in play. 

"I think competitively, the way we are as players, you better treat every year as a year you have to prove," Nix said earlier in training camp. "You have to go out there and show the team that you're worth what you're putting in for you and what they're building around you. You can't ever let up and think that, 'I've made it. I've gotten to where I need to be,' because quite honestly, I'll never feel that way.

"There's always the next season. There's always the next championship to go after. I think every year for every player is going to feel like a contract year because it should."