As a rookie, Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix truly had a historic season, and he was actually top-10 in a very surprising QB statistic. Many people, including NFL Draft experts, were way off on their evaluation of Bo Nix, and it was kind of nice to see. Heck, even some in the fanbase were not high on Nix and did not think he could pan out to be much.
Well, about halfway through the 2024 NFL Season, it seemed like Nix and the Broncos were going to be alright. The QB threw for 29 touchdown passes, ran for four, and caught one. He was responsible for 35 touchdowns in 2024.
That is a strong number for even the best QBs in the NFL. Nix finished fifth in the NFL in TD passes, and given the limited talent on the Broncos offense, there is reason to believe that this unit could truly explode in 2025. Well, there is another perhaps hidden reason why Nix and the Broncos can take a huge leap forward.
Bo Nix was 8th in QB rushing yards in 2024...
Bo Nix ran for 430 yards and four touchdowns last year. His rushing yardage total was more than QBs like Drake Maye, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, and even Justin Fields.
Nix quickly proved that his athleticism wasn't just a fun part of his game that he could use in emergencies, but rather a high-end quality that actually did hurt him a bit earlier in the year. The young QB was definitely a bit fidgety in the pocket at times and did create his own pressure, but he had enough mobility to escape the pressure he created.
As the 2024 NFL Season went on, we saw Bo Nix get a lot more comfortable in the pocket, and when you look at some of his runs, it became clear just how much of a weapon his legs were and will continue to be. Heck, Nix was second on the team in rushing yards.
Ideally, the Denver Broncos are able to improve their run game enough to not need Bo Nix to use his legs all that much, but I would bet that Sean Payton absolutely wants to keep that up. A dual-threat QB in today's game is incredibly dangerous, and when they are a sharp passer like Nix turned out to be, you have an elite QB, period.