Bo Nix Comparison to Joe Burrow's First 20 Starts Has People Buzzing

Burrow went 8-11-1 through his first 20 starts, while Nix has gone 11-9. Burrow completed 66.6% of his passes, while Nix connected on 66%.

When it comes to their respective touchdown-to-interception ratio through the first 20 games, Burrow went 34-to-16, while Nix bested that with a 34-to-15 mark. As a passer, Burrow posted a rating of 95.0; Nix's was 91.9, both very high relative to each quarterback's age.

Lastly, Burrow rushed for three touchdowns through his first 20 games, while Nix had four scores on the ground, all of which came last season. Nix rushed for 501 yards to Burrow's 196, more than double.

What it Means

Just because the Burrow and Nix stats through their first 20 starts are so similar doesn't mean that the Broncos' quarterback will have the same career trajectory. But it does illustrate just how good Nix has been for his relative age and inexperience when displayed alongside the two-time Pro Bowler.

When healthy, Burrow is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, and he, of course, won a National Championship while at LSU. By the end of his second NFL season, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was a force to be reckoned with, finishing with 4,611 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, with 14 interceptions. The Bengals reached the Super Bowl but were dispatched by the Los Angeles Rams.

We don't yet know how Nix's second season will ultimately shake out, but his early path is similar to that of one of the greats in the NFL. The biggest feather in Nix's cap — and this is the main reason why I haven't been feeding Broncos Country's anxiety attacks during the Mile High Huddle Podcast live-streams — is the continued presence of Payton.

Burrow has had Zac Taylor to shepherd him through his NFL trial-and-error learning curve. Payton, however, is on a different level in terms of bonafides.

Payton's quarterback resume stretches well past Nix to Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jameis Winston in New Orleans, as well as Dallas, where the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys won 10 games in 2003 thanks to Payton's positional coaching. Payton also helped resuscitate Drew Bledsoe's flailing career in 2005 in Dallas. Before that, Payton extracted arguably the best out of Kerry Collins with the New York Giants.

Payton's track record has only been further embellished by Nix's historic rookie season. Let's not forget, Nix rewrote the Broncos' rookie passing records, and set a few new NFL marks, finishing with the second-most rookie passing touchdowns in league history (29).

Nix was the last of six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, and yet, he had the most passing yards, passing scores, and total yards and touchdowns. It's obvious why everyone's expectations for him were so high entering 2025, but he hasn't lived up to them yet.

However, the season is young and there's a lot of football left to be played. With Payton at his side, there's every reason to expect Nix to begin taking some big steps forward, especially playing behind an offensive line that is still highly rated.

Nix has the weapons. He has the protection, the weapons, and the coaching wisdom. It'll come together in due time.

But Broncos Country has to give Nix that time. Exhale, and let's enjoy watching him continue to develop on a roster that is arguably even better than the one Burrow led to the Super Bowl in his second year.

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