Zach Allen Says One Bo Nix Trait Is 'Second to None'

Bo Nix has been a hot topic around the Mile High City over the past few days, and for good reason.

The Denver Broncos have the face of the franchise back on the field, and with Nix in the fold, all of the team's goals are back on the table again. One of the reasons he's been in the headlines over the past week is the shade he continues to get in the national media.

Head coach Sean Payton shared his theories on why there's a disconnect between Nix's historic on-field accomplishments and the media's negative coverage of him nationally, boiling it down to people either being too stubborn to come off a preconceived draft opinion or too ignorant to watch the tape.

What Nix has achieved over two years has been out in the open — there for anyone with eyes to see, but you have to pay attention. Tight end Evan Engram said it best after Wednesday's practice: "I don’t pay any energy to that. I know Bo doesn’t."

Nix's teammates have seen his confidence grow over the past two years. Leading a team that had been in the dumps for nearly a decade to back-to-back playoff seasons, and coming one injury away from punching a ticket to the Super Bowl, will do wonders for a young quarterback's confidence.

What Broncos defensive end Zach Allen has observed in Nix, beyond his growing confidence, is an "elite" ability to read defenses.

"I mean, definitely now, the way he just reads defenses, it’s second to none. It really is impressive how elite he is," Allen said of Nix on Wednesday.

Nix's Competitive Edge

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That's high praise coming from a two-time All-Pro. And Allen knows what he's talking about.

In training camp, the Broncos' defense often got the best of Nix and the offense in situational drills to end each practice, where the goals were to keep them from scoring in the two-minute drill, or, in red-zone drills, shutting them out of the end zone.

Nix got his licks in, to be sure, but he had a different energy about him this summer. Perhaps it's the growing confidence thing; maybe it's simply the chip on his shoulder from having been denied the fruits of his hard-earned labor last year when he suffered his ankle fracture one game away from the Super Bowl; whatever the reasons were, Nix was a firecracker in camp.

It was a very competitive and spirited training camp at Broncos HQ. Tempers flared at times, especially when Nix was knocked down twice by teammates — a big no-no for any NFL team in practice, and one that often comes with extreme consequences for the perpetrator(s).

But Nix never backed down, and in fact, he seemed to welcome it, brushing aside media concerns about things getting too heated in practice and chalking it up to "it's football." There is something that seems different about him this season, though, and it's going to be interesting to see how it serves the Broncos.

One thing that hasn't changed, though, is Nix's propensity for avoiding the negative play and sacks. Only one NFL quarterback back has been sacked fewer times than Nix since he entered the league in 2024, and while that's a credit to the Broncos' vaunted offensive line, Allen clearly sees it as the result of Nix's hard work, preparation, and natural savvy in the pocket.

Reading the defense and avoiding the sack go hand-in-hand, after all.

"I think the big thing everybody talks about is how few sacks he takes. I mean, it’s a struggle," Allen said of Nix. "Obviously, the offensive line we have is really good, but he gets the ball out quick. He’s really smart. So, just seeing him be comfortable in his third year is awesome, and we’re really lucky he’s on our side."

Sky's the Limit

Garett Bolles and Bo Nix. — Garett Bolles and Bo Nix chat on the sideline. | Hector Acevedo / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Broncos' offensive veterans have talked about how having Nix back in the huddle has given them a shot in the arm and a major confidence boost. All-Pro left tackle Garett Bolles believes that if the Broncos' O-line can continue to protect Nix well, there's no telling to what heights he could lead this team.

"Just to have him in the huddle and how calm he is and the plays that he makes, it amazes me every single day," Bolles said on Monday. "I mean, if we give him time the way that we know we can, the sky’s the limit for him and he can go out and do whatever."

In Bolles's view, Nix relishes being the underdog. We saw that in his epic post-game comment following the Broncos' upset over the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 last season, when they were set up as home underdogs, despite being on a 10-game winning streak at the time.

Nix's "We're the overdogs" will go down as one of the most iconic phrases uttered by a Bronco. It might not be "This one's for John" (said by Pat Bowlen in Super Bowl XXXII) or "This one's for Pat" (John Elway in Super Bowl 50), but it's up there with the likes of "It's all over, fat man" (Tom Jackson to John Madden in 1977).

"I think he loves being the underdog. I think he takes pride in that," Bolles said of Nix. "We take pride in that, and I’m excited to see what he does this year."

The Takeaway

Through two years, Nix has averaged 3,853 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes per season. With the arrival of speedster wideout Jaylen Waddle, offensive coordinator Davis Webb taking over the play-calling, and the quarterback's natural progression, this could be the year we see Nix eclipse the 4,000-yard passing mark and exceed 30 passing touchdowns.

So long as the Broncos continue to win games, that level of statistical production should, in theory, help Nix garner the type of individual accolades that are missing from his NFL resume. What matters most to him, though, is that the Broncos win games, make the playoffs, and have a chance to win a Super Bowl.

Nix is already operating at a cerebral level beyond that of a third-year quarterback, as Allen stated. I'm not necessarily talking "Star Wars" numbers, like Peyton Manning produced in his three years as a Bronco, but like Webb forecasted this summer, I have a sneaking suspicion that we're about to witness Nix take a quantum leap forward in 2026.

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