There was a point this season where it seemed like there might not be a worse starting quarterback in the NFL than Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
That point was Week 4 of the regular season, when Nix went 12-of-25 passing for 60 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions in a 10-9 win over the New York Jets — a game in which the Broncos had just 186 yards of total offense and went 3-of-14 on third downs.
“… Courtland Sutton caught three passes for 60 yards,” Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Phillips wrote after the game. “That means that Nix’s nine completions to six other receivers combined to total zero yards. Remarkable. Nix started the game 7-of-15 for -7 yards. So he averaged -1 yards on his first seven completions. Nix did run the ball five times but only gained three yards. That’s 0.6 yards per carry. Overall, he had 63 total yards on 28 touches, which is 2.3 yards per play. Yikes.”
While Nix was pilloried after that performance, one thing he didn’t get enough credit for was winning — the one thing he hasn’t stopped doing in the 2 months since.
Headed into their bye in Week 14, Nix is playing his position as well as almost anyone in the NFL and has the Broncos at 8-5 and in the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC as they try to make it back to the postseason for the first time since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 seasons.
It’s that ascension that has Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, drawing comparisons to great NFL quarterbacks of recent memory after The Ringer’s Bill Simmons compared Nix to 2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Drew Brees.
Brees, of course, spent 15 seasons playing for current Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2020.
“Bo Nix looks like Drew Brees,” Simmons said during a live recording of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” in Denver on December 4. “It’s like Payton has sprinkled Drew Brees Kool-Aid all over him for 8 weeks …
“I watched that Jets game … it looked like he was going to be out of the league in 3 weeks. And you watch the guy the last couple of weeks and he just looks legitimate. Like, he can make every throw and he runs around. He’ll make like 2 mistakes. And I like his leadership … he just has it. I think he’s got it. I think he’s got charisma.”
Finding Similarities Between Nix and Brees
There are plenty of similarities between Nix and Brees, starting with both making over 40 starts through their first 4 college seasons. They’re also about the same size — Nix at 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds and Brees at 6-foot and 209 pounds.
While Brees didn’t become a full-time starter until his second season with the San Diego Chargers in 2001, his numbers from his first year as a starter are similar to Nix’s.
In 2001, Brees led the Chargers to an 8-8 record while going 320-for-526 passing (60.8 percent) for 3,284 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions — an average of 205.3 yards per game.
In 2024, through 12 games, Nix is 8-5 while going 277-for-434 passing for 2,842 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions — an average of 218.6 yards per game.
Nix Contending for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
While Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels seemed like a lock for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for most of the season, the last month has seen Nix draw close to even.
According to VegasInsider.com, While Daniels is still the odds-on favorite at -250 on DraftKings and ESPNBet, Nix has close the gap and currently sits at +200 and +225 on the respective sites.
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