Bo Nix

Sean Payton is a big fan of Bo Nix, but his appreciation for the rookie quarterback started even before the Denver Broncos drafted him.

According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Payton considered flying to Nix to tell him in person that the Broncos were planning to draft him back in April.

"You can't get in a conversation with Sean Payton without him bringing up how great Bo Nix is in like 0.2 seconds," Glazer said. "...Here's the thing with Bo Nix, he loved him going all the way back to March and his personal workout. We all know Sean's crazy, he comes up with this crazy idea two days before the draft. He says, 'I'm going to fly to where Bo Nix is and when he gets drafted, I'm going to knock on his door and personally tell him that we're drafting him.' That's how much he loves this dude."

In his final season at Oregon, Nix has 4,508 passing yards, 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions on his way to being named a Heisman Trophy finalist. His passing yards were the second most in the NCAA while his 45 touchdowns led college football.

While some teams weren't high on Nix, coming into the draft, Payton's confidence in him was unwavering.

Payton's appreciation for Nix has likely only increased after the way the 12th overall pick has performed this year.

Nix has 2,842 passing yards, which ranks 11th in the NFL and first among rookie quarterbacks. He's also collected 17 passing touchdowns, the 10th most in the league and most among rookies.

His performance has led the Broncos to an 8-5 season thus far after going 8-9 and missing the playoffs a season ago. Denver, which is third in the AFC West and currently sitting in seventh in the AFC, has a solid chance to snap its eight-year playoff drought this year.

The Broncos, who have a bye week this week, will take on the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs to close out the year.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton's desire to see how rookie quarterback Bo Nix performs in a late-season, primetime situation reportedly played a role in the Broncos agreeing to get flexed into a Thursday night game in Week 16.

Speaking Thursday on her Scoop City podcast (beginning at the 26:40 mark of the video), Dianna Russini of The Athletic gave some insight into why the Broncos were fine with the move:

Russini said Payton has a "mindset that they want the spotlight," adding that they want "all the lights shining on him, all the pressure, all the cameras" on Nix in order to give him as much big-game experience as possible.

After instituting the ability to flex Thursday Night Football games last season, the NFL did so for the first time this season, flexing the scheduled Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals game out in favor of the Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16.

Per ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the Broncos had the right to decline the flex since the NFL has a policy against teams having two short-week road games in the same season.

Despite that, Payton didn't have an issue with the move, telling reporters:

"It's a road game anyway, right? I like the fact that we have another opportunity. I remember this a long time ago, 'Boys, we'd rather be flexed in than flexed out.' It's a real good team playing real good, and it flexes Cincinnati out who we play the following week. So there was a little... But it is what it is, and they just tell us when we're playing."

Payton didn't elaborate on his point about the Bengals, but Russini noted that the other factor in the Broncos accepting the flex is the fact that it gives them a rest advantage for their Week 17 game against Cincinnati.

The Bengals will now play a Sunday game against the Browns in Week 16, meaning they will play on normal rest in Week 17, whereas the Broncos will have a couple of extra days to prepare.

At 7-5, the Broncos have performed above expectations so far this season, and they are currently in a wild-card spot.

Nix's play is a big reason why, as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft is completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,548 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 300 yards and four scores.

Many questioned the Broncos' decision to make Nix the sixth quarterback selected in the first round of the draft, but it has paid dividends thus far, and Denver is in position for its first playoff berth since winning the Super Bowl in 2015.

If Nix performs well against another potential playoff team in the Chargers in a primetime road game in Week 16, it could go a long way toward the Broncos both reaching the playoffs and making some noise once they get there.

The Denver Broncos are riding the momentum of back-to-back wins into their Monday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns, and they gave fans even more reason to be excited about the primetime showcase.

The Broncos announced on Tuesday that they will debut their Midnight Navy jerseys and Summit White helmets in Monday night's game against the Browns:

This will be the first and last time the Broncos wear navy jerseys this season, according to a release. The team previously wore navy jerseys as its primary uniform from 1997 to 2011.

At 7-5, the Broncos have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024 season. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has exceeded expectations, and head coach Sean Payton has been able to get the best out of a roster that lacks star power.

Nix has thrown for 2,548 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while also adding 300 rushing yards and four more scores. His steady play could put Denver in a position to earn a playoff spot in the competitive AFC.

The Broncos will be facing a 3-8 Browns team that is coming off an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but their fresh look for Monday Night Football should help keep the momentum on their side.

Bo Nix continued his strong rookie season, leading the Denver Broncos to a 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The first-year quarterback thrived against a Raiders secondary that allowed 202.7 passing yards per game entering the matchup.

Nix finished 25-of-42 for 273 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. His second score helped give Denver a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter that the team wouldn't relinquish for the rest of the game.

The 24-year-old has now surpassed 270 yards through the air in three of the past five weeks after failing to reach that mark during the first seven games of his career. He also wasn't afraid to lean into the AFC West rivalry.

Courtland Sutton finished with a team-high 97 receiving yards and two touchdowns, catching eight of his 10 targets.

Fans were amazed by the performance from Nix, calling for him to receive Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration.

Gardner Minshew started under center for the Raiders, but he was replaced by Desmond Ridder in the fourth quarter after suffering a shoulder injury. Minshew recorded 230 yards through the air to go along with a touchdown as well as an interception, completing 59.5 percent of his throws.

After losing two consecutive games to drop to 5-5 on Nov. 10, Denver has improved to 7-5 with back-to-back victories and currently owns the final playoff spot in the AFC entering Week 13.