Bo Nix Booed During Turbulent NFL Week For Oregon Ducks

The NFL regular season came to a finale in week 18, but plenty of former Oregon Ducks are still set to play in the postseason.

Many of Oregon’s former quarterbacks and stars were sidelined in the regular season finale. Former quarterback Bo Nix headlined the week, while cornerback Christian Gonzalez also heads to the postseason, and running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Tez Johnson notched a win with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Denver Broncos Clinch Top Seed in the AFC

oregon ducks nfl bo nix bucky irving christian gonzalez tez johnson troy franklin denver broncos quarterback cornerback — Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) looks on after winning the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nix faced off against former Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers squad. The Chargers were already locked into a spot in the Wild Card round, and elected to rest Herbert in the week 18 matchup.

The Broncos ended up winning 19-3 to earn the top seed in the AFC. It wasn’t the most impressive offensive performance that Nix and Denver have had this season, but it still secured a playoff bye.

Nix threw for 142 yards and rushed for another 49 yards against Los Angeles. He tied quarterback Russell Wilson for most wins by a starting quarterback in their first two seasons in NFL history with the victory. Nix also has the opportunity this postseason to become the first Oregon quarterback since 2017 to win an NFL playoff game.

The Denver crowd did boo the offense during the game, to which Nix had a very mature response.

"I've been booed before, and I will be booed again," Nix said.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez Set to Play His First Postseason Game

The Ducks are set to be well-represented in the NFL playoffs. Gonzalez is having a career year with the New England Patriots and will have the opportunity to keep it going after defeating the Miami Dolphins 38-10 in the final regular-season game.

"I'm excited, very excited to be able to play in January,” Gonzalez said after the win. “As a kid, it's a dream come true, really. To be able to play in the playoffs. We came in, and (Mike Vrabel) said, 'Win the division and host home playoff games.' So, we are able to do that. It's a new season now. So, we gonna maybe not even enjoy this one tonight. Get right onto it and be ready for next week."

Gonzalez tallied four tackles against the Dolphins and caused pressure in the second quarter to help create a fumble. He finished the regular season with 69 total tackles, 54 of which were solo, and 10 pass deflections.

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Ducks in Tampa Bay Finish the Season with a Win

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not be in the playoff picture, but they ended the regular season with a 16-14 victory on Saturday.

Irving recorded 85 yards and had a 13-yard reception against the Carolina Panthers. Johnson also contributed to the win with a 17-yard reception and a five-yard rush.

The two former Ducks had their ups and downs in Tampa Bay this season. Irving came off an impressive rookie season but ended up sidelined for a good chunk of this season. Johnson didn’t see very many targets to begin his rookie season, but ended up showing that he was a seventh-round draft steal with 28 receptions, 322 receiving yards and five touchdowns.