Quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos enter the 2025 season with high expectations after making it to the playoffs last season. One of the biggest reasons for the optimism is the way that Nix looked in his rookie year.
He did a tremendous job of leading the Broncos offense, finishing with 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Those 29 touchdowns were the second most for a rookie, trailing only Justin Herbert, who had 31 in 2020.
On Wednesday, he was named a captain for a second straight season, and that is something he doesn't take for granted.
"It's an honor and something I will never take for granted," Nix said in a statement. "I think what makes it more special is you're voted by your peers. You're voted by your teammates. It just means a lot that my teammates respect me and want to put me in that position. I want to be as good as I can be in that spot."
Being a quarterback automatically puts a player in more of a leadership position. For Nix, things didn't start out extremely well, as he threw for 660 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in his first four games.
That is something that could negatively impact a rookie in a big way, but Nix wasn't a typical rookie.
Nix left college with the most starts in a career for a quarterback. He started 61 games between his career at Auburn and Oregon, and entered the league at 24 years old.
Age is something that can scare off a team when drafting a player, but Payton looked at it as an advantage, and it is paying off for Nix.
NFL analysts across the board are fully expecting the Broncos to take the next step this year, and truly challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. They controlled most of the game last season at Arrowhead, until a blocked field goal as time expired gave the Chiefs the win.
In Week 18, the Broncos won 38-0. Nix had the best game of his career, finishing 26-of-29 for 321 yards and four touchdowns.
Making things easier for Nix, too, is that he doesn't have to go out and win games all on his own. The Broncos have arguably the best defense in the NFL, led by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Pat Surtain II.
Combine that defense with the poise and leadership of Nix, and it is easy to see why people are so high on this team. The Broncos will host the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 of the season on Sunday.