Former teammates explain how Broncos' Bo Nix is 'like another coach'

Quarterback Bo Nix became a surprising story of the 2024 NFL season when he guided the Denver Broncos to a playoff berth as a rookie. 

Arizona Cardinals edge-rusher Jordan Burch and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson both shared a locker room with Nix at the University of Oregon. Thus, Burch knows plenty about what Nix offers a team outside of the stats the signal-caller produces on game days. 

"He's like another coach," Burch recently said about Nix, as shared by Jeff Legwold of ESPN. "[He's] serious all the time, great leader ... I wasn't surprised at all by anything he did last year. Just the way he carries himself, if he gets a chance, he'll do whatever it takes to make the most of it for everybody."

Critics who felt the Broncos "overdrafted" Nix by taking the Oregon star with the 12th overall pick of the 2024 draft were silenced even before he helped Denver reach the postseason by earning a Week 18 win over a Kansas City Chiefs side that rested starters. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Nix ended the 2024 regular season ranked sixth in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes and 12th with 3,775 passing yards. The sixth quarterback drafted in his class ultimately finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year Award voting.

During the voluntary portion of Denver's offseason program, Nix noted how he and an unnamed Broncos player tell each other that they "haven’t done anything yet" as it pertains to achieving success at the highest level. Johnson isn't surprised Nix has embraced such a mindset as an NFL starter. 

"I've seen it since...I've known him," Johnson said about Nix. "He prepared like he was in the league long before he was in the league. He will prepare like he's in the Super Bowl every week. He will always look at how he plays and look at what defenses will do against him. He's not afraid -- he never will be -- to look at what he needs to do, even if it's uncomfortable. Those kinds of people succeed, you know?"

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Broncos at -105 odds to win over 9.5 games during the upcoming season. If Nix is a better overall QB1 this coming December than what he was when he last celebrated Christmas, the Broncos could do more than simply advance beyond the wild-card round of the 2026 postseason tournament.