What Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Said About 'Competitor' Denver Broncos' Bo Nix

Before facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked about his early impressions of Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix after competing against the former Oregon Ducks passer twice during the regular season.

Mahomes is already of the greatest quarterbacks in the sport looking to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and he told reporters that he is confident Nix will be "a great quarterback."

"He's a competitor. That's the biggest thing that I always look for in quarterbacks," said Mahomes. "It's not always about the throwing mechanics, not always about the legs, can you run and can you compete? Can you go out there and find ways to win? And I saw that from him all season long. Hopefully he doesn't win a lot of games against us, but I know he's gonna be a great quarterback in this league."

Mahomes likes what he sees in Broncos QB Bo Nix 👀

🗣️ “He’s a competitor … It’s not always about the throwing mechanics, the legs, you can run, can you compete? Can you go out there and find ways to win? I saw that from him all season long.”#KOASuperWeek | @ChevronColorado pic.twitter.com/aCXiTkbJ9e
— KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (@KOAColorado) February 4, 2025

Mahomes was not the only member of the Kansas City Chiefs to sing the Denver quarterback's praises when speaking to the media ahead of the Super Bowl. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has seen Nix up close, and Spagnuolo certainly appears to be a fan of the rookie.

"I'm gonna tell you what, he's the real deal. I mean, listen, he grew as a rookie. I thought he played pretty good that first game . . . obviously in the last game, he he tore us up. They got a bright future with him. I'm really impressed with him," said Spagnuolo.

In Nix's first game against Spagnuolo and the Chiefs, the Broncos nearly came away with a win. Down 16-14 in the fourth quarter, Nix led the Broncos offense down to Kansas City's 12-yard line with 20 seconds remaining and a chance to kick a game-winning field goal. However, the attempt from Denver kicker Will Lutz was blocked by the Chiefs special teams, giving Kansas City the win.

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In the second matchup, the Chiefs had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so they rested a number of key starters against the Broncos in the regular season finale. Nix threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns against a Kansas City defense that was without linebacker linebacker Levelle Bailey or defensive linemen Chris Jones, Matt Henningsen, and Eyioma Uwazurike.

After a stellar rookie campaign with the Broncos, Nix is a finalist for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Although Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is considered the favorite to win the award, Nix shattered expectations in his rookie season.

CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson interviews Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) following the win against Kansas City — Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson interviews Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) following the win against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Denver coach Sean Payton and the Broncos were heavily criticized for selecting the former Oregon Ducks quarterback with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Nix subsequently led the Broncos to their first playoff berth in eight years.

He also made franchise history as the first rookie quarterback to ever start a playoff game for Denver. Nix and the Broncos clinched the final Wild Card spot in the AFC but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Buffalo Bills.

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