The Biggest Problem With Calling Bo Nix 'Overrated'

As a quarterback without a single Pro Bowl nod or All-Pro selection to his name, calling Bo Nix "overrated" is a bit of a misnomer. To be overrated, one must first be rated, and relatively highly at that.

Denver Broncos fans seem to be the only ones to rate Nix all that highly, although his NFL peers in the player and coaches ranks have put him in NFL Network's Top 100 Players in back-to-back years. However, we must keep that distinction in context: he checked in at No. 64 (2025) and No. 59 (2026), respectively.

Throughout the offseason, Nix has been relegated to the late teens when it comes to the national media's quarterback rankings around the web. We're talking No. 17 or No. 18.

Again, not exactly highly rated. That, however, didn't stop CBS Sports' Garrett Podell from listing Nix alongside Caleb Williams as the NFL's two most "overrated" quarterbacks. The national perspective often gushes about Williams, ranking him high in the ubiquitous offseason lists, though he, too, is yet to earn a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod.

"Bo Nix is an incredibly unique quarterback. He led the NFL with 612 passing attempts in 2025, but he failed to crack 4,000 yards passing, thanks to an average of 6.4 yards per attempt that ranked 28th among 33 qualified quarterbacks. That average was sandwiched in between washed versions of Aaron Rodgers (6.7 yards per pass attempt) and Kirk Cousins (also 6.4 yards per pass attempt)," Podell wrote.

The 'Incredibly Unique' Nix

Bo Nix and Shaq Thompson — Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) is tackled by Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) in the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Round game. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

The "incredibly unique" underhanded compliment aside, Nix does stand alone in many respects, especially in comparison to his fellow quarterbacks of the 2024 draft class, which includes Williams (No. 1 overall to Chicago). Although Washington's Jayden Daniels won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Nix had more passing yards, passing touchdowns, and total touchdowns from scrimmage.

By virtue of his rushing production, Daniels had more total scrimmage yardage than Nix, but otherwise, the Broncos' quarterback had more overall statistical production. Both rookie signal-callers led their respective teams to the playoffs, though Daniels' Commanders pushed to the NFC championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

We can go through the individual comparisons between Nix and Williams, or Drake Maye for that matter, but what it really boils down to is this: Nix has more passing yards, touchdowns, and wins than any of his fellow 2024 quarterbacks.

So, yes. As a third-year quarterback, Nix is "incredibly unique." We all know that's not what Podell was trying to convey, though.

The Common Trope

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) looks for a receiver against the Houston Texans. | Trask Smith / Cal Media / IMAGO / Newscom World

As it relates to the oft-used "Nix led the NFL in passing attempts but failed to eclipse 4,000 yards" critique, let's first start with the Broncos' scheme and play-calling. For whatever maddening reason, Sean Payton relied on the screen game far too much last season for an offense that struggled so consistently to execute them.

The lackluster polish of Denver's screen game may have had something to do with the wide receiver personnel, though that's an element of the offense that should benefit greatly from Jaylen Waddle's arrival. With new offensive coordinator Davis Webb now calling the plays, it will be interesting to see whether the screen-game volume changes, as well as the situational timing of when they're called.

Nix certainly shares some complicity for his rather low yards-per-attempt metric, as through two years of his NFL career, he's been somewhat reluctant to target the middle of the field and the seams. That could be a coaching point of emphasis, designed to minimize the likelihood of tipped passes leading to interceptions, but it's likely also a quarterback preference thing.

Risk-Averse

Nix is also a very calculated quarterback when it comes to taking risks. It's one of the traits that drew Payton to Nix: his stubborn refusal to take negative plays.

Only one NFL quarterback has been sacked fewer times than Nix since he entered the league (Green Bay's Jordan Love), which again highlights the young quarterback's natural propensity for avoiding the negative play. However, Nix has thrown 23 interceptions over his two seasons, which is the most among the 2024 first-round quarterbacks, so it's not like he's immune to the negative play, nor is Payton averse to challenging defenses downfield.

That could also explain, in part, why Nix has been reluctant to target the middle of the field and the seam. I can't get between Nix's ears, but it's possible.

Supporting Cast

Bo Nix and Evan Engram — Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates a touchdown scored by wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) (not pictured) against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

As for Nix's supporting cast, there's a reason the Broncos gave up premium draft capital to upgrade the receiving corps this offseason. Outside of Courtland Sutton, a Pro Bowler and back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver, Nix's pass-catching arsenal has been less than stellar as a pro.

That's not me throwing shade at Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, or Marvin Mims Jr., but all three are young and still growing in the NFL. That can also be a good thing, as it allows the receivers to grow with their young franchise quarterback, which we've certainly seen unfold, especially with Franklin.

With respect, though, I would argue that over the past two years, Nix has done more with less than just about any NFL quarterback, in terms of arsenal. After all, he's the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 7,500-plus yards, 50-plus touchdowns, and win 20-plus games through his first two seasons, and he did so with Sutton as the only aerial weapon opponents have feared.

Dropped Passes

Troy Franklin, Tarheeb Still, and Tony Jefferson — Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) reaches for a pass as its broken up by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) and safety Tony Jefferson (23). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's also not forget that the Broncos finished second in the league last year in dropped passes. Nix finished his second year with 3,931 passing yards, so if the Broncos' receivers had dropped even four or five fewer passes than the 43 they actually dropped, the quarterback would have easily surpassed the 4,000-yard mark, and this critical trope wouldn't exist.

To put it in perspective, the team with the 16th-most dropped passes last year was the Green Bay Packers, and they dropped 20. So Denver dropped more than double the passes than even the NFL's middle-of-the-pack team in this statistical category, just to put it in perspective.

There was a good reason why Payton fired Keary Colbert after the season and replaced him with Ronald Curry as the Broncos' new wide receivers coach. Payton was fed up with the drops.

Lastly, there has been a troubling lack of explosiveness in Denver's passing game, and while it would be easy to pin that all on Nix, a lot of it stems from the scheme, the personnel, and the drops. That's not to excuse Nix, though; he has to improve his deep-ball accuracy and his overall pocket presence.

75 Punts

Let's check in one more time with Podell's rationale for listing Nix as one of the NFL's most "overrated" quarterbacks.

"Nix's inconsistencies helped produce sluggish victories against the Kansas City Chiefs' third-string quarterback, Chris Oladokun, on Christmas in Week 17 (20-13), and a 19-3 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers' backups. The young quarterback's lumps directly led to Denver struggling to consistently drive the football down the field.

"Three of the top four teams with the most punts in the 2025 regular season -- the Browns (93), Titans (78) and Raiders (74) -- missed the playoffs and fired their respective head coaches. The fourth team in that group is Nix's Broncos, with 75 punts. He benefits from a strong offensive line and a strong defense," Podell wrote.

There's no doubt that Nix benefits from one of the best offensive lines and defenses in football, but so too do they profit from him. Such is the symbiotic nature of football. It's a beautiful thing.

Again, not to excuse Nix, but further context is needed to explain the 75 punts last year. After No. 1 running back J.K. Dobbins went down with a season-ending injury, the Broncos' rushing attack evaporated.

The rookie RJ Harvey was lucky to finish a game with a yards-per-carry average north of 3.0. That's the bitter truth, and that reality also played a big role in the Broncos' Week 17 and Week 18 wins over the Chiefs and Chargers, respectively.

It's also why Denver drafted Jonah Coleman. A little insurance never hurts.

Despite this, Nix still thrived as a third-and-long quarterback. In fact, he finished second in the NFL (tied) in converting third-and-longs into either first downs or touchdowns (27). Third-and-long is defined as seven-plus yards to go for a conversion.

If that's not a quarterback making lemonade with the lemons provided him, I don't know what is. When the odds are stacked against him, Nix is always at his best.

The Takeaway

In Podell's critique, we again see the common ill-informed tropes surrounding Nix. I don't know why, but for some reason, he's easy for folks in the national press to hate.

Does Nix get pilloried because it's so rare for a first- or second-year quarterback to win so many games? He's got 24 regular-season wins under his belt, a division crown, the No. 1 playoff seed, and a playoff win (against the then-reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen). And yet, there's nary an accolade to Nix's name.

Is it the unfortunate result of Nix getting painted with the same brush that Payton does, a coach in whom there is no love lost in the national media? There's something to this, though I'm not sure to what degree.

Payton has his throngs of haters in the media, many of whom will never forgive him for his role in "bounty-gate," a transgression for which he served a one-year suspension in 2012, while the New Orleans Saints were fined by the NFL and forced to forfeit their second-round draft picks in back-to-back years.

Payton can be tough to love, but there's no question that he delivers on the field and in the standings. I theorize that the Payton factor has contributed to Nix's relatively low NFL profile, compared to his on-field accomplishments. It can't be the only factor, though (see Drew Brees).

I summarily dismiss the assertion that Nix can be "overrated," simply because, by definition, it doesn't make sense. He's, in fact, the opposite of that: underrated. But it makes for fun offseason fodder as we await the arrival of Broncos training camp, which is now only days away from kicking off.

It's just more fuel for the Nix fire anyhow. At the end of the day, quarterbacks are judged by their wins and losses.

What matters to Broncos Country is that Nix has proven to be the franchise quarterback that had eluded the team since Peyton Manning retired. A franchise quarterback is the tide that raises all ships; if you doubt that Nix has done that since arriving in 2024, we're not watching the same games.

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