Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix faces a new set of doubts.
Nix entered the league amid questions about his age relative to his contemporaries, as well as about his arm strength and ability as a deep ball passer. He has led the Broncos to 24 wins in his two seasons at the helm, tied for the third-most in the league in that span, per Stathead.
And yet, Nix not only faces the new doubts about him, but also questions about the timing of the Broncos’ next big decision regarding their quarterback and roster situations.
Bo Nix Question Leaves Broncos in Limbo
GettyThe Denver Broncos need to know that Bo Nix is fully healthy before they enter a critical window.
The Broncos saw their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, give Patrick Mahomes a $504.7 million contract extension, putting him at over $63 million in annual salary, a mark that Nix and his fellow hopefuls could cite in their own negotiations.
Like Nix, fellow 2024 draftees Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye–picks Nos. 2, 3, and 3 in the class, respectively–are in a veritable battle with timing.
The first domino will have significant consequences.
“He’ll need to show he has fully recovered from the foot injury suffered late in the AFC playoff win over the Bills. And he’ll need to do even more in Sean Payton’s offense to unlock a major deal,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on June 14. “Regardless, there’s a new high bar — and his contemporaries from the 2024 draft could add more data points.
“That raises another question, as to Williams, Daniels, Maye, and Nix. Who goes first? There will be a competition among the agents to emerge with the best deal. This could prompt some of them to wait until the others jump in the pool first.”
Nix has a significant edge over his classmates in wins, and his individual numbers stack up favorably, too.
He has split his two meetings against Mahomes, with both contests decided by 3 points or less.
Broncos Have Built-In Bargaining Chip Opposite Bo Nix
GettyThe Denver Broncos could make some sound arguments at the negotiating table with Bo Nix.
The Broncos could use Nix’s injury concerns at the negotiation table to tamp down expectations, but the discussion would be short, given what he has done so far.
Their other major arguing point could be that Nix has been backed by what has been one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past two seasons, with the unit ranking first in scoring and third in yards allowed in that span.
Nix and the offense had the fourth-lowest average starting point on drives last season.
But they had the second-highest mark in 2024, Nix’s rookie season, with a drop-off in takeaways a key underlying factor in the swing.
In that sense, 2026 will be key for Nix and the Broncos, who must also show they can provide their young QB with a sustainable run game to complement the passing attack while largely running back the same personnel.
Nix has a new weapon in Jaylen Waddle, and he still has one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.
Ultimately, the onus will be on Nix to prove the he should command as much as possible on his eventual extension with the Broncos.
Broncos’ Bo Nix Gets Strong Words Amid ‘New’ Development