Bo Nix Courtland Sutton Denver Broncos
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Bo Nix #10 and Courtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos set the NFL record by coming from behind to win 12 games in 2025 — part of a magical regular season in which they went 14-3 and clinched the No. 1 seed for the AFC Playoffs.
According to one NFL insider, that’s going to be hard to replicate in 2026.
“Denver won 11 one-score games a year ago, often a signal of a team needing to improve to stay the same record-wise,” Sports Illustrated Matt Verderame wrote. “If that’s the case, the Broncos could be a prime regression candidate.”
The Broncos don’t need to improve in many places — they desperately needed to add a high-level skill player and did so with a blockbuster trade for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Denver still has arguably the NFL’s best defense but that’s not really the point. The Broncos’ success might be solely determined if 1 player, specifically, doesn’t regress — and that’s 3rd year quarterback Bo Nix.
Broncos Became Elite After Drafting QB Bo Nix
Nix has changed the fortunes of the Broncos from the moment he stepped inside the facility after they selected him out of Oregon in the 1st round (No. 12 overall) of the 2024 NFL draft — the last of a record-setting 6 quarterbacks taken in the 1st round.
With Nix, the Broncos have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons after missing for 8 consecutive years before that.
With 2 years remaining on a 4-year, $18.6 million contract, he’s also providing the Broncos the kind of value all 32 NFL teams would kill for — a quarterback on his rookie contract on a Super Bowl contender.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon placed Nix at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Underpaid” players again.
“Nix is a bargain to the Broncos like Drake Maye is to the Patriots,” Kay wrote on Sunday. “Promising third-year first-round pick on track to become a longtime franchise quarterback. His $5.1 million 2026 cap hit ranks 35th at that position, behind Davis Mills, Marcus Mariota, and Gardner Minshew. In fact, Nix won’t even be the highest-paid QB on the Broncos roster this year, as Jarrett Stidham is due $8 million.”
In just 2 seasons, Nix already owns a handful of NFL records:
1st QB with 20+ wins, 7,500+ passing yards, 50+ TDs in 1st 2 seasons
Most wins by NFL QB in 1st 2 seasons (24)
Most game-winning drives by QB in 1st 2 seasons (10)
Most comeback wins by QB in a single season (12)
1st QB with 2 rushing TDs & 2 passing TDs in 1 quarter
Devastating Bo Nix Injury Cost Denver Super Bowl
It was Nix’s broken ankle suffered on 1 of the final plays of an AFC Divisional Round overtime win over the Buffalo Bills that likely kept the Broncos out of the Super Bowl last season — made even more incredible by the fact that Nix broke his ankle then continued to play to set up the game-winning field goal.
Nix’s injury wasn’t disclosed until an hour after the game ended. Just 1 week later, the Broncos lost to the Patriots, 10-7, in the AFC Championship Game as the offense looked lost without its leader and pressed into starting backup Jarrett Stidham, who hadn’t played in a regular-season game in 2 years.