Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has skyrocketed up this season's iteration of the NFL Top 100, an annual ranking of the league's best players — determined exclusively by the talent themselves.
As revealed Monday, Nix checked in on the 2026 list at No. 59 overall, five spots higher than his previous slotting. And according to one voter (and now years-long nemesis), the placement is well-deserved.
"When Bo needs to make a play, he's able to make big plays," Raiders star defender Maxx Crosby said. He's athletic. He's got a great arm. He's a dog. I'll give it to him."
No. 59 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@broncos QB Bo Nix! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/thceLLwTk0
— NFL (@NFL) July 20, 2026
After leading Denver as a rookie to its first playoff berth in nearly a decade, Nix turned in a categorically more impressive encore, accounting for 4,287 yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns en route to a division title, the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and an upset of the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.
Nix suffered a broken ankle against Buffalo and would miss the following AFC Championship loss to New England. However, he's vowed to return in his best health to date with the organization firmly in its championship window — its sights fixated on the Lombardi Trophy in 2026.
Nix is the third Bronco thus far to crack the 2026 Top 100, along with defensive end Zach Allen (No. 73) and wide receiver Courtland Sutton (No. 68).
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 19: Bo Nix scores a touchdown vs. the New York Giants. | John McGloughlin / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
What This Means
To be sure, this honor doesn't carry the same weight as making the Pro Bowl or being selected as an All-Pro. It's nice recognition from a player's peers about how they performed a season ago, not necessarily how they will perform in the future.
But for someone like Nix, who's largely been criticized since entering the NFL, any positive acknowledgement is noteworthy, especially when he was voted above more household names like Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield, and even San Francisco's Brock Purdy.
If anything, this is an ego-uplift for the ultimate ego-less field general, a confidence-booster at a time when his personal motivation is already maxed out.
"When I had an ankle injury in high school, we won the state championship. When I had an ankle injury in college, we went and won a lot of games at Oregon. Now I expect it to be the same thing," Nix told reporters in June. "For me, it’s just another bump in the road. It’s another thing, but one thing I don’t necessarily worry about right now is my health. We play this game long enough, you get hurt and you get bumps and bruises. We have great medicine nowadays and great training to where you get back on the field. You look at some of the worst injuries you could get, and guys are playing the next year and feel stronger and better than ever."
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