Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s most recent performance — a historic 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons — earned him a Rookie of the Week nod, his nomination of the season.
The No.12 overall pick from Oregon has led the Broncos to a 6-5 record and is also firmly in the running for Offense Rookie of the Year after throwing for a career-high 307 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday.
Even the Duke of Denver has taken notice of the Broncos' budding superstar. John Elway, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback and former Broncos GM, joined Adam Schefter's podcast on Tuesday.
“Bo’s got all the tools, and I think in today’s game, even though you can get by without the movement, it sure is an added bonus to be able to move around and extend plays like Bo’s been able to do... I think the sky is the limit for him, and he’s just going to continue to get better and better the more comfortable that he gets," Elway told the ESPN insider.
Week 11’s performance launched Nix into the record books as he became the first rookie in NFL history to complete over 80% of his passes while throwing for four touchdowns and 300-plus yards.
Schefter, a former local beat writer covering the Broncos during the Mike Shanahan era of the '90s, spoke with Elway about the significance of Denver’s success amid the AFC playoff race. Schefter also point-blank asked Elway about his relationship with the rookie signal caller.
Elway admitted to Schefter that he's yet to actually meet Nix, even though he attended an OTA practice this past spring. Elway went on to offer an open invitation, of sorts, to help Nix if he can "in any way."
“I went to OTAs and was out there one time, and obviously, he was getting tugged in a bunch of different directions, so I didn’t get a chance to say hello to him, but I look forward to the time, I do. Another thing, too, is that he’s going to get a bunch of advice going into this first year right, and if I can help him in any way, I’d like to. But obviously, he’s getting great tutelage now with the coaching he’s got and the situations that he’s in. I look forward to meeting him, but like I said, it’s probably more my fault than anything else because once I retired again from football, it’s kind of been nice to get away from it and I haven’t had a chance to get over there and meet him.”
Elway previously won two Super Bowls as a Broncos player and one as an executive, splitting his historic career as both a quarterback and general manager. He’s forever etched into the record books of this franchise and league, with an impressive and lengthy list of accomplishments.
For Nix, the records can wait as the 24-year-old is currently tasked with getting his team into the playoffs — a difficult feat as Denver’s endured seven straight losing seasons and hasn't made the playoffs since that fateful year when Elway was able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy following Super Bowl 50 and in an iconic moment, exclaim, "This one's for Pat!"
Despite having never met, Nix donned Elway’s iconic No. 7 Orange Crush jersey as he entered the stadium ahead of Week 5’s 34-18 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders. Oddly enough, Nix will be looking to lead the Broncos to their first victory at Allegiant Stadium against the Raiders this coming Sunday.
