After a slow start, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is making a name for himself with NFL honors and victories each week.
Nix had his best game yet on Sunday, setting new season highs with an 84.4 percent completion rate, 307 passing yards, and four touchdown passes. He went 28 for 33 in an efficient performance that helped Denver crush the Atlanta Falcons 38-6.
With a 145.0 quarterback rating, Nix joined C.J. Stroud of the Texans (2023) as the only rookies in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards, four touchdowns, and a passer rating of 140 or higher in a game.
Nix was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month in October and earned the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Week award after a strong showing against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, despite the Broncos losing that game.
Now, there’s talk about Nix being a candidate for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. However, cornerback Patrick Surtain II thinks he should be aiming even higher.
“I told him, ‘Man, you’re trying to win MVP,” Surtain said. “It’s not even looking like Offensive Rookie of the Year, it’s looking like MVP now.”
Whether it’s an exaggeration or not, it’s clear that the Broncos (6-5) may have finally found their long-term quarterback, something the team has been searching for since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired after winning Super Bowl 50.
Since Manning’s departure in 2016, the Broncos have gone through multiple quarterbacks, including Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Drew Lock, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater, and Russell Wilson. Of these, only Siemian had a winning record as the team’s starter.
With Sunday’s win, Nix set a franchise rookie record with six victories, surpassing the five wins Hall of Famer John Elway had in 1983 and the five Drew Lock had in 2019.
