There's no doubt that Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has shut out a lot of the noise, but it's impossible that he's heard none of it over the course of the last year.
Nix was just named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for the month of October, and although the recognition doesn't mean much in the long run, it's a great break from all of the vitriol and scathing reviews of his game and abilities that we've had to suffer for the majority of 2024.
Broncos rookie Bo Nix has been unfairly criticized all year
Nix has been labeled too old for an NFL quarterback prospect. People made fun of the Broncos for drafting him 12th overall because he has a "noodle" arm and no upside at the next level. He's been accused of "cosplaying" as a pocket quarterback by someone who works for the "Worldwide Leader in Sports". People were quick to label him a bust and hopeless as an NFL starter after his rough debut against the Seattle Seahawks.
Nix has been compared to Tim Tebow by some, and not in the ways that you want to be. People who work for legitimate publications and companies have taken to their personal accounts on Twitter/X to make fun of Nix for missing receivers or having a bad box score in the first half of the game against the New York Jets.
What's really funny is that the goalposts have been moved for every strong performance he's had as well.
The Buccaneers were badly injured defensively. Nix tore up the Panthers, everyone does that. The Saints were playing their practice squad players.
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Everything that Nix has done has been heavily scrutinized and put under the microscope, which you can understand from the vantage point that he's the starting quarterback of a storied NFL franchise. But while so many are quick to try to confirm their (overwhelmingly negative) pre-draft assessments of Bo Nix, the frustrating thing is seeing so many major voices in the NFL community completely ignore the good things he's doing out on the field.
Nix is the first Broncos rookie quarterback ever to win five games. He's already setting and breaking so many records and even did something against the Panthers that not even Peyton Manning did in his four years in Denver (3 pass TDs, 1 rush TD, no turnovers in the same game).
As we stated before the start of his rookie season, Nix should be afforded the opportunity to fail forward. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. Some talking heads have been using every "failure" of Nix as an opportunity to prematurely bury him as an NFL starter while other talking heads have been completely ignoring his successes/improvement and acting like it's not really happening because of who the Broncos are playing.
The good news for everyone in Broncos Country is that the truth of the matter is -- Nix is improving weekly. He's making adjustments to the actual weaknesses you can see in his game. He's proving he could potentially be an actual franchise quarterback for this team.
He's proving he's on the right track, regardless of what certain folks in the football media world would have you believe.