Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
As the Denver Broncos reflect on their 2024 season, one thing has become clear: rookie QB Bo Nix is their leader for the present and future.
The Broncos ended an eight-year playoff drought with a 10-7 record, only to face a humbling 31-7 defeat against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card round. Despite the loss, the organization remains optimistic, confident that drafting Nix as the 12th overall pick was the right decision.
“I know this, he’s very conscientious. … I think it’s all in front of him,” head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “I’ve said this before, I think we’ve found that player that can lead us and be what we need relative to having the success that we’re used to having. I think we found him.”
Nix’s Record-Breaking Rookie Campaign
Nix experienced the typical ups and downs of a rookie season but delivered a standout performance. His 29 touchdown passes were the second-most by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Justin Herbert’s 31 in 2020. Nix also became one of just five rookie quarterbacks in league history to throw for at least 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns in their first season.
Payton highlighted Nix’s growth and his eagerness to improve. “I had a good visit with him [Tuesday],” Payton said. “… [There] are things he’s going to look at and grow from and build on, whether it’s third-down snaps or pressure snaps, but his progress really encourages me; I’m glad that he’s with us and it worked out the way it did. [And] I know he’s going to here quite a bit.”
General manager George Paton echoed Payton’s sentiments. “He never flinched; we’d be behind in games, we always came back, we didn’t always win them, but you’re always looking for that ‘it’ factor,” Broncos general manager George Paton said Wednesday. “… He’s been here, you’re like ‘Bo, you’ve got to take a break,’ [but] he’s here today, he was here yesterday.”
Focus on Division Rivals
Broncos leadership also acknowledged the need to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won the AFC West for nine straight seasons.
“We could have easily been 2-0 against the Chiefs this year,” said owner/CEO Greg Penner. “Our absolute goal next year is to win the division.”
The Broncos faced tough losses to three of the AFC’s top teams this season: 41-10 against the Baltimore Ravens, 16-14 against the Chiefs, and Sunday’s loss to the Bills. While Payton admitted the gap between the Broncos and those teams exists, he believes it’s narrowing.
“I’m telling you what, I didn’t see a gap last weekend until the second half [the Broncos trailed the Bills 13-7 late in the third quarter], and then you see a gap because you’re losing,” Payton said. “But I felt real confident we could go in there and win. Obviously, we didn’t play well enough, but those lines are much finer than we think.
“It’s a player, it’s two players, it’s line of scrimmage,” Payton added “… And it starts with the division, there’s a lot of confidence in this team if we could get past [Buffalo in the wild card], the next one we had to play [in Kansas City] we felt really good about. Obviously, we’re still not there yet, but we’re a lot closer than we were at this time a year ago — that was misery, sorrow, drudgery — gimme some other adjectives — that was brutal, let’s say
As the Broncos head into the offseason, they’ll continue to build around Nix while addressing areas of need to close the gap with the AFC’s top contenders. The foundation appears set, and with Payton, Nix, and a focused roster, Denver is poised for a brighter future.
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This report used information from ESPN.
