The Denver Broncos are Bo Nix's team now. The rookie first-round pick left no doubt about it when he got his first career preseason start and carved up the Packers' backup defense to the tune of 8-for-9 passing, 80 yards, a touchdown to Tim Patrick, and a 140.7 QB rating.
The Broncos have scored on six of the seven possessions Nix has engineered in the preseason so far. He has looked sharp since arriving at his first rookie minicamp, and even without playing a single snap in the regular season, it seems clear that the Broncos made the right call pursuing Nix and saying goodbye to Russell Wilson this offseason.
Wilson was cut before his five-year extension with the Broncos even kicked in, even though the team had already paid him a boatload of guaranteed money up front. He left behind a dead money figure of $85 million -- the single largest dead cap hit for a player in NFL history -- and signed with the Steelers for the veteran minimum for a little extra salt in the wound.
Meanwhile, Broncos fans are understandably excited. They're starting to Bo-lieve.
And rightfully so. Nix has more than looked the part, and the entire NFL world is taking notice.
First game in two years at @EmpowerField.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 19, 2024
Touchdown. 🥹#GBvsDEN x @Tpstreets pic.twitter.com/JHeiIpTpxQ
Nix has had an absolutely stellar preseason so far. Over his first two games against the Colts and Packers, he completed 23 of 30 passes for 205 passing yards, two touchdowns, and he showed what he can do with his legs in the process. On top of that, Nix had a touchdown throw called back for being barely over the line of scrimmage and another touchdown pass dropped by Josh Reynolds in Indianapolis.
The guy is out there putting the ball on the right spot. He's not taking sacks. He's seeing the field. He's distributing the ball. He's trusting his eyes. He has a clear understanding of the offense, and what's really impressive is the feel he already seems to have for the speed of NFL defenses. We'll see how he adjusts in the regular season, but for the time being, Nix has been impressive.
He looks like he's going to finally put the last nail in the QB carousel coffin. Broncos fans were certain they were heading toward years of rebuilding and reloading with the albatross of Russell Wilson's contract left behind. Certainly they wouldn't be able to find a quarterback at pick #12 overall in the NFL Draft, right?
Nix has passed the early eye test, that's for sure. He's made a believer out of a lot of people around the NFL world and looking around the crowd at the Broncos game, there are a lot of #10 jerseys in the stands. The fan base is buying the hype. The bitter taste of the Russell Wilson era is being washed away slowly but surely.
The Broncos might have themselves a franchise quarterback, after all.