Bo Nix has changed the game for the Denver Broncos. Drafted in the first round out of Oregon last year, Nix emerged on top in the Broncos' summer quarterback competition, leading the team to a 10-win season and a playoff berth while setting one franchise and NFL record after another.
Nix earned Pro Bowl alternate honors and even had the chance to make the trip to Florida and participate in the 'games,' but he declined the invitation in order to undergo a 'minor' offseason medical procedure. With all these accomplishments under his belt, Nix finished third in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting came as a shock, coming in behind fellow first-round quarterback Jayden Daniels (the winner) and tight end Brock Bowers.
Be that as it may, the NFL has taken notice of Nix and the Broncos. The team has earned high placement in the early 2025 NFL power rankings around the web, while Nix is being asserted as a 'darkhorse' MVP candidate by FanDuel Sportsbook, with +6000 odds.
These are the 'darkhorse' candidates, mind you, as the top contenders will be familiar names like Josh Allen (the reigning MVP), Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow, among others. Still, for a quarterback entering his second year, Nix will get the chance to cement his status in the MVP conversation with the oddsmakers.
And there's reason to believe Nix could pull it off. After all, this will be Year 2 in Sean Payton's system, and with the core group of skill-position players he's built chemistry with and one of the top-two-rated offensive lines in the NFL.
If the Broncos are successful in building the nest around Nix this offseason, adding some much-needed playmaking ability at running back and tight end, Payton's offense could jump the shark and eclipse all the 2025 projections, much like Nix and the team did last year relative to the playoff expectations around the NFL. After all, we saw how explosive and prolific Payton's offense was for 10-plus years in New Orleans when he had his quarterback, Drew Brees.
Nix is the new Brees, so to speak, and he's just getting started. It should encourage Broncos Country to see Nix listed as an MVP candidate, a 'darkhorse' though he is, with a prominent sportsbook like FanDuel. The future is bright.
