Armed with elite target Jaylen Waddle and a fresh offensive scheme, Denver’s rising star aims to overcome past injuries and secure his place among the AFC’s elite.
The Denver Broncos were one win away from going to the Super Bowl, but they fell short in a tough loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game.
Of course, Bo Nix missed that game after suffering a season-ending injury the week prior against John Allen and the Buffalo Bills in an absolute thriller.
Now, Nix and the Broncos enter 2026 with lofty goals, and adding a big target such as Jaylen Waddle should help.
Going into the season, Kevin Patra of NFL.com named one player from every team who could be a first-time Pro Bowl nominee this season, and he named Nix, although he also considered adding Waddle.
"I considered putting Jaylen Waddle in this spot, as he’s in position to mash in his first year outside Miami. But let’s be honest: If Waddle shines, Bo Nix will, too. The third-year pro has steadily improved in Denver. His ability to keep the offense flowing and splash big gains continues to grow. The early returns with new play-caller Davis Webb have all been positive. If Nix stays healthy and smooths out some of the dips the offense saw last season, he’ll push his way toward the top of AFC signal-callers," Patra said.
The Broncos selected Nix at No. 12 overall in 2024 after he finished his college career in stellar fashion with the Oregon Ducks.
As a rookie, Nix threw for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, although the Broncos lost their first playoff game.
In 2025, Nix threw for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and he had 279 yards with three scores in the playoff win over the Bills.
At this rate, if Nix plays well, he should be viewed as a Pro Bowl favorite, although Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are also in the AFC and in the same division as Nix.
Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are some other AFC QBs who are commonly in the discussion, as is Trevor Lawrence.
However, there's one key element here: Nix did all that with Joe Lombardi as his offensive coordinator.
Now, Davis Webb is the OC, and Payton is letting Webb call the plays. The former QB was highly regarded and received head coach and OC interviews this past cycle before Payton kept him around, so there is a lot of buzz about the new playcaller in Denver.
And, adding Waddle to a WR corps with Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton gives Nix even more options to utilize, so there is a huge chance he earns his first Pro Bowl trip this season.
