Bo Nix On Verge Of NFL Playoffs History for Former Oregon Ducks

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC with their 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18. Nix will look to go on a playoff run, something a former Oregon quarterback hasn't done in quite some time.
Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) smiles before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) smiles before 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

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix and his Denver Broncos will have wild card weekend off after their 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18. The Broncos earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first round bye in the NFL Playoffs with the win. 

It wasn’t the best performance from Nix and the offense, but the Broncos defense stepped up and led the way to victory. Denver heads into the playoffs with a record of 14-3. Will Nix be able to go on a run?

Oregon Quarterbacks in NFL Playoffs

Oregon Ducks Bo Nix Denver Broncos NFL Playoffs AFC Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers AFC Justin Herbert Wild Cars Round
Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) embrace following the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Nix will look to become the first Oregon quarterback to win an NFL playoff game since Marcus Mariota led the Tennessee Titans to a road playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs back in the 2017 season. Since then, Oregon quarterbacks have a combined NFL playoff record of 0-4.

Nix lost his lone playoff start as a rookie. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is 0-2, but will have a chance to get his first before Nix as the Chargers will play before the Broncos.

Nix, Broncos Lock Up No. 1 Seed

Oregon Ducks Bo Nix Denver Broncos NFL Playoffs AFC Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers AFC Justin Herbert Wild Cars Round
Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) shakes hands with Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) following a game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In the win over the Chargers, Bo Nix went 14 for 23 with 141 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Despite the offense not being their best, the game never felt in doubt. The Chargers were locked into a wild card spot heading into the game and opted to rest some of their top starters, including quarterback Justin Herbert. 

There is a possibility for Denver to end up facing the Chargers in their divisional round playoff game if the Chargers win their wild card game on the road against the No. 1 seeded New England Patriots. Denver will play the lowest remaining seed in the AFC playoffs. 

The Chargers being the lowest seed heading into the playoffs guarantees a matchup between the two if the Chargers pull the first round a first round upset against the Patriots. 

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Nix's Oregon Days

Oregon Ducks Bo Nix Denver Broncos NFL Playoffs AFC Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers AFC Justin Herbert Wild Cars Round
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix leaps into the end zone for a touchdown as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks host Washington State Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Prior to being selected No. 12 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by Denver, Bo Nix played his final two collegiate seasons for the Oregon Ducks in 2022 and 2023. He threw for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns in this time. 

His final season in 2023 was his best, throwing for 4,508 yards and 45 passing touchdowns. The Ducks went 12-2 and capped off the season with a Fiesta Bowl victory over the Liberty Flames. Nix finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.

It came as a surprise to many to see Nix be selected as high as he was in the draft even with his college resume. He has silenced doubters in his first two seasons. Nix's record as a starter is 23-10.

His NFL numbers aren't the most eye-popping with 7,565 passing yards, 54 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions in his first two seasons, but Nix has shown the ability to make plays in and out of the pocket when his team needs it. This is especially true in crunch time. The Broncos have a record of 11-2 in one-score games.


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Cory Pappas
CORY PAPPAS

Cory Pappas is sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Oregon Ducks On SI. Since starting in March of 2024, he has been writing breaking news stories, game previews, game recaps, and more across College Sports, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympics for Total Apex Sports. In addition to writing, Cory is also a sports data scout for Sportradar. He covers live sporting events ranging from college athletics to semi-pro and professional. Before joining the industry, Cory graduated from the University of Oregon in 2022. He ran track for Oregon's club Track and Field team. Before Oregon, he played varsity basketball and track and field in high school in Walnut Creek, CA. Cory is using his lifelong passion for sports and writing together.

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