In week 5, Bo Nix might’ve only been the second-best NFL player in his own family. As Bo struggled (especially in the second half) against the Jets in London, rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson hauled in a 45-yard touchdown that helped the Buccaneers take down the 49ers.
Tez began the season buried on Tampa Bay’s depth chart, sitting behind one of the league’s deepest wide receiver rooms. But a wave of injuries pushed him into the spotlight, and he’s made the most of it — seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks.
On a day when the Broncos’ offense sputtered and barely held on for a win in London, a seventh-round rookie receiver was shining elsewhere — leaving Denver fans to wonder why he isn't catching touchdowns from Bo Nix.
Broncos should have drafted Bo Nix's brother Tez Johnson in 2025
Tez Johnson not only played at Oregon with Bo Nix, but won a state championship with him in high school. Bo’s father, Patrick Nix, coached them both, and Bo was the one who first told him how special Tez was, describing him as being “as fast as a lightning bug.” When Tez was 15, the Nix family took him into their home, and the two became brothers.
Though their college paths initially diverged — Nix to Auburn and Johnson to Troy — they eventually reunited at Oregon, Tez’s favorite childhood team. In 2023, alongside Bo, Johnson caught 10 touchdowns and finished as the Ducks’ second-leading receiver behind Troy Franklin.
Tez entered the NFL a year after Bo but slipped to the seventh round, where the Buccaneers took a flier on him. Surely, Tez would’ve loved to reunite with his brother in Denver — but the Broncos made no move to make it happen.
Maybe Denver passed because they’d already drafted one of Bo’s Oregon teammates in 2024. Or perhaps they didn’t want to spend more draft capital at wide receiver after selecting Pat Bryant in the third round.
Whatever the reasoning, it’s starting to look like a mistake. After Tez’s highlight-reel touchdown on Sunday, it’s fair to wonder if the Broncos’ front office is kicking themselves for not taking a low-risk swing on Day 3.
There’s always a chance — like at Oregon — that Bo and Tez find their way back together someday. But if Tez keeps trending upward, the cost to reunite them will be far higher than the sixth- or seventh-round pick Denver could’ve spent to do it in the first place.