There are still major Bo Nix doubters out there, and it's just been an odd thing to witness. For multiple years now, some of the criticism with Nix has been that 'he's been carried by Sean Payton and an elite defense,' or he's a 'check down merchant,' among other ridiculous things.
But for the better part of two years now, Nix has continually silenced the doubters and has helped lead the Denver Broncos on the doorstep of a Super Bowl run. With a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18, Nix would tie Russell Wilson for the most wins across a quarterback's first two seasons with 24.
The other layer to the Bo Nix debate could eventually be if he is an elite quarterbacks - these debates are almost always subjective, but most NFL fans can agree who the truly elite passers are in the league. With a deep playoff run, Bo Nix could objectively cement himself as an elite quarterback.
There'd be no doubt - Bo Nix would hit elite status with a deep Broncos' playoff run
Elite quarterbacks come in many shapes and sizes. Guys like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen are all elite in their own way, so there isn't necessarily a prototype here. The league also has other passers like Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and perhaps even Bo Nix who have bits and pieces of being elite but who have never really ascended to that tier yet.
The thing with Nix is he's done nearly everything he could do as a second-year quarterback in this league. In a way, the only thing he'd need to do to truly be seen as an elite player is to indeed help the Denver Broncos on a deep playoff run.
Most of the league's best quarterbacks today simply haven't been able to do this, but Nix is, by all accounts, ahead of the game. The Broncos absolutely do not have to win the Super Bowl this year for Bo Nix to be considered elite, and you might not personally care what the national media says about the QB, as they've been wrong time and time again.
But it's really this simple - the Denver Broncos could indeed have an elite quarterback on their hands, and a deep playoff run is going to cement that status.